Ecuador president asks rebels to confirm donation

[Bacchus39]

Ecuador president asks rebels to confirm donation

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090723/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_ecuador_rebel_video

QUITO, Ecuador – President Rafael Correa made a direct plea Thursday to leaders of Colombia' main leftist rebel army to confirm whether they contributed to his 2006 election campaign.

He also asked the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, to confirm the authenticity of a newly disclosed video that appears to prove the rebels made contributions.

Correa had previously called the video "a sham" meant to discredit South America's left.

But he has now joined other government officials in suggesting someone may have solicited money from the FARC fraudulently claiming to represent his campaign.

Colombian officials dispute such a formulation, pointing to a half-dozen documents found on FARC computers more than a year ago in which guerrilla leaders discuss contributions.

They consider the video, whose existence was revealed by The Associated Press last week, to be definitive proof.

"A rooster doesn't crow any clearer," said Juan Manuel Santos, who stepped down as Colombia's defense minister in May to run for president.

The video shows the rebels' No. 2 commander, Jorge Briceno, reading from the deathbed manifesto of the rebels' founding leader, Manuel "Sureshot" Marulanda. At one point, he discusses "assistance in dollars to Correa's campaign."

The footage was given to the AP by a Colombian government official on condition of anonymity because of the video's political sensitivity.

It was found in a computer in the possession of an alleged rebel operative arrested in Bogota on May 30 and was decrypted on July 10, officials said.

Because of the FARC's clandestine nature, it frequently takes days if not weeks for the insurgency to issue communiques on important matters.

[IndianaGreen]

1. Donald Rumsfeld: the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence.

There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know we don't know.

Donald Rumsfeld

It doesn't matter, the US corporate press will continue to repeat the lies because they would want all progressive governments in Latin America to be toppled like Allende was.

[Bacchus39]

2. well, hopefull Rafa will get a response from his FARC friends and clear this all up n/t

s

[IndianaGreen]

3. Aren't you supposed to be at the Miami Beach weirdo conference?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=405x19675

Your golpistas buddies are there!

[Bacchus39]

4. nope. got any more quotes from Don Rumsfeld?

n/t

[struggle4progress]

5. There is drivel we babble. And there is babble we dribble. And if you dribble,

you might get a home run or you might just get tackled on the fourth down. That is to say, sometimes without saying anything we say something and other times we just say things without actually saying anything. But if we say something and nobody is listening, did we really say anything? So if nobody notices we haven't said anything, is it possible we really said something after all? If I was Rumsfeld, I think I couldn't listen to myself think without thinking I needed a stiff drink

[Zorro]

6. Correa is worried about this revelation

because Ecuadoreans are a bit shocked by the video.

Correa thinks that appealing to FARC will help nip this issue in the bud, but it only shows how clouded his thinking is.

FARC can't very well admit it is true, but if FARC denies its authenticity, no one (except the terminally brain dead) will believe it.

And if FARC remains silent...well, it just reinforces the perception that the video is authentic.

Not a particularly well-played move by Rafael. It keeps this issue in the limelight.

[Bacchus39]

7. Colombia a threat to Hugo and Rafa

despite all the problems in Colombia, it remains very competitive economically with Ven and surpasses Ecuador. Sandwiched between two OPEC nations, further development of oil resources could jeopardize the alliance of the Chavez-Correa cartel.

http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2009/01/14/Colombia-expects-boost-in-oil-production/UPI-37341231983550/

and we have a much more diverse economy in Colombia than we have in Ven and Ecuador who are dependent on imports from Colombia. why would they want a strong Colombia, heh?

militarily with the support of the United States and the fairly large population, Ven and Ecuador can't compete. not to mention seasoned soldiers used to combat.

Colombia could come to dominate northern South America and Central America bordering to the north.



yeah, the FARC would be hard pressed to deny the words coming out of the mouth of its number 2 guy. mierda!!