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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHQT #2152 2401955
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 281955Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY QUITO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5127
INFO RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA IMMEDIATE 5920
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA IMMEDIATE 0910
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ AUG 0048
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA IMMEDIATE 3648
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS IMMEDIATE 1972
RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA IMMEDIATE 0633
RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL IMMEDIATE 1042
RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL

UNCLAS QUITO 002152 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL MARR MASS MOPS SNAR PTER EC CO
SUBJECT: COLOMBIAN SHOTS LEAVE ECUADORIANS WOUNDED 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Colombian military units and FARC rebels exchanged 
heavy gunfire late in the evening on August 23 in the 
southern Colombian border town of Tetye, Putumayo. 
Ecuadorian 19th Jungle Brigade Commander (based in Lago 
Agrio, Sucumbios province) Colonel Ramiro Caceres confirmed 
the live fire incident to an Embassy official, reporting that 
a mortar round exploded in the Ecuadorian town of Puerto 
Nuevo, Sucumbios at 5 a.m. on August 24.  The device 
detonated in the Puerto Nuevo bus station, injuring three 
Ecuadorians, one severely, COL Caceres said. 
 
¶2.  (U) Minister of Defense Oswaldo Jarrin traveled to the 
Puerto Nuevo on August 24 to survey damage first hand.  In an 
August 25 interview, Jarrin confirmed the incident calling it 
unfortunate.  He said that the Colombian military must 
exercise greater caution when operating along the joint 
border, something the two governments had agreed upon in 
bilateral meetings.  Responding to the reporter's suggestion 
that diplomatic efforts were futile, Jarrin recalled that six 
months had passed without a significant incident, proving 
that increased bilateral communication has worked.  He said 
that the Foreign Ministry would formally protest the incident 
and seek compensation for victims through the Colombian 
Embassy in Quito. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Comment:  The GOE seems willing to downplay the 
incident, absent public or political uproar.  A forthcoming 
and contrite response from the GOC would help keep the 
reaction here at manageable levels. 
JEWELL