Experience of Binational Dialogue Ecuador – Colombia, 2007 – 2009
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Experience of Binational Dialogue Ecuador – Colombia, 2007 – 2009 Final Report The Carter Center strives to relieve suffering by advancing peace and health worldwide; it seeks to prevent and resolve conflicts, enhance freedom and democracy, and protect and promote human rights worldwide. Experience of Binational Dialogue Ecuador – Colombia, 2007 – 2009 Final Report One Copenhill 453 Freedom Parkway Atlanta, GA 30307 (404) 420-5188 Fax (404) 420-5196 www.cartercenter.org The Carter Center Contents Foreword ................................. iv Sixth Meeting: Review of Group’s Progress, Executive Summary .........................v Bogotá, May 2009 ........................22 Acknowledgments..........................vii Binational Dialogue Group, June–October 2009 .......................23 List of Abbreviations . 1 Carter Center Conducts Third Mediation, Dialogue Process and Colombo – Ecuadorian April–August 2009 .......................24 Relations, 2007–2009 ........................2 Final Road to Full Relations .................27 Background ..............................2 The Binational Dialogue Group in the First Meeting: Initiate Conversation, Words of its Members ......................29 Atlanta, November 2007 ....................4 Adrián Bonilla ...........................29 Second Meeting: Spirit of Joint Enterprise, Quito, February 2008 ......................6 Antonio Navarro Wolff ....................31 Angostura Events Cause Diplomatic Crisis, Augusto Ramírez Ocampo ..................34 March 2008 .............................7 Dolores Padilla ...........................38 President Carter Conducts First Mediation Francisco Carrión Mena ...................40 Exercise, March–April 2008 .................8 Gonzalo Ruiz Alvarez .....................42 Third Meeting: New Level of Openness, Grace Jaramillo ..........................47 Bogotá, April 2008 .......................11 Luz María Sierra .........................50 Fourth Meeting of the Binational Dialogue Guillermo Rivera .........................52 Group, Atlanta, May 2008 .................13 Luis Carlos President Carter Conducts Second Villegas Echeverri .........................53 Mediation Exercise, May–June 2008 ..........13 Manuel Chiriboga Vega ....................54 Binational Dialogue Group Meets with the Presidents, June 2008 ...................15 Margarita Carranco .......................57 Initiatives of the Binational Dialogue Patricia Estupiñán ........................60 Group in Civil Society, June–October 2008 .....15 Pedro Velasco ............................62 Fifth Meeting: Political Analysis, Ricardo Ávila ............................64 Quito, November 2008 ....................18 Ricardo Estrada ..........................66 Initiatives on the Common Border, Sandra Suárez ...........................70 February 2009 ...........................19 Socorro Ramírez ..........................72 BDG Meets with President Rafael Correa, Alfredo Negrete ..........................74 Quito, March 2009 .......................20 Andrés Valdivieso .........................77 Visit by President Carter to Ecuador, Galo Mora ..............................79 Quito, April 2009 ........................21 The Carter Center Binational Dialogue: Ecuador – Colombia Selection of Articles, Interviews, and Impact on the Context ....................104 Press Notes by the Members of the Final Words ............................107 Binational Dialogue Group . 81 Appendix: Time Line ......................109 Uribe in Montecristi .......................81 Appendix B: Initial Project Framework ......118 Mandatory Courtesy Toward Colombia ........82 Appendix C: Communication Between Correa Is Not Chávez’s Pawn ............. 83 Diez and Foreign Minister Araujo ...........120 Our Relations with Colombia ................84 Appendix D: Final Agreement The Border Will Be Threatened Again .........85 on Small Steps............................121 The Return to Political Ethics ................87 Appendix E: Final Document on Signals ......122 Thank You, Mr. Carter ....................90 Appendix F: Declaration on Good Signs Between Ecuador – Colombia Relations ...............125 Colombia and Ecuador .....................91 Appendix G: Conclusions from Shooting Ourselves in the Foot ...............92 the Third Binational Dialogue Round Ecuador – Colombia .................126 An Imperative Reconciliation ................93 Appendix H: Press Release, June 6, 2008 .....127 The Country to the North ..................94 Appendix I: Press Release, June 27, 2008 ....128 Hope for the President to Remain Silent ........95 Appendix J: Agreements Reached Deaf and Blind ...........................96 During the Meeting in Quito................129 Binational Tension ........................97 Appendix K: Sixth Meeting of the Drums of Peace ..........................98 Binational Dialogue Group . .131 Contributions of the Binational Dialogue Group: Appendix L: Modificatons to Road Map ......133 Brief Final Thoughts . 100 Appendix M: Joint Communiqué Contributions of the Experience Ecuador – Colombia........................134 on a Personal Level ......................100 Contributions of the Experience on a Group Level ........................102 iii The Carter Center Foreword he Carter Center was privileged to work with in 1994 in the Bambito dialogue process in Panama a distinguished group of citizens from Ecuador and the property disputes dialogues in Nicaragua in Tand Colombia in an experiment to improve 1993–94. As well, The Carter Center participated in understanding between the two countries. Our goal the Community of Practice for Democratic Dialogue was to help mitigate growing tensions between citi- initiated by the UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Latin zens on both sides of the border and to focus on the America and the Caribbean in 2000 and hosted one positive ties that bind the two countries. of those meetings. Finally, The Carter Center and When Ecuador severed diplomatic relations with UNDP worked together with the Organization of Colombia on March 3, 2008, just days before our American States in the Tripartite Working Group on third planned meeting of the Binational Dialogue Venezuela from 2002–2004. Group, we thought the exercise would be imperiled. We also benefited from the financial support of The group mobilized, however, and some of its mem- the Andean Development Corporation and the wise bers played an invaluable role in advising my personal counsel of its president, Enrique García. communication with President Correa and President We are pleased to present this report in the wake Uribe in an attempt to repair relations. Over the of the announcement on Nov. 26, 2010, that both course of the next year, the dialogue group worked governments have agreed to re-establish full diplo- tirelessly, not only for the re-establishment of diplo- matic relations. We hope that the personal insights matic relations but for collaborative efforts for devel- gained and shared by the members of the Binational opment and security of the border region. Dialogue Group continue to nourish the relationship We created the Ecuador – Colombia Binational between the people of Colombia and Ecuador. Dialogue Group in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program, building on a long- standing relationship between the UNDP and The Carter Center. The two organizations collaborated Former U.S. President Founder of The Carter Center iv The Carter Center Executive Summary he Binational Dialogue Group was a diplo- The BDG was formed according to the mode macy initiative from civil society, organized of diplomacy known as Track 1.5 (governmental Tby The Carter Center and the United Nations diplomacy is termed Track 1 and citizen diplomacy Development Program. The goal of the group was to or diplomacy of civil society organizations is termed contribute to improved relations between Colombia Track 2). This designation implies that the group and Ecuador by promoting a positive agenda. conducts its activities in an independent, autonomous As with many relationships between neighboring manner but also in association — and in direct con- countries, the bilateral relation between Ecuador and tact — with both governments. Therefore, in order to Colombia undergoes frequent ups and downs. In 2007 join the group, members could not hold official politi- the national security policy of President Álvaro Uribe cal office at that time. Group members called upon and instances of fumigation with glyphosate conduct- to serve in public office had to yield their position ed by the Colombian government in regions border- to another individual. Because this was a “diplomacy ing Ecuador to eradicate coca crops produced growing 1.5” initiative, it was well-known to the foreign min- tensions between the two countries. In addition to istries of both countries from the outset and to both this, the influx of Colombian emigrants into Ecuador presidents as well, and it met with their approval. (appreciably, due to the violence that Colombia was The group held six two-day meetings between suffering) and the differing political orientations November 2007 and May 2009: two in Atlanta, of President Rafael Correa and President Uribe (United States), two in Quito (Ecuador), and two in contributed to the straining of binational relations Bogotá (Colombia). Former U.S. President Jimmy even further. Carter participated in two of these meetings. BDG The BDG initiative involved gathering a group of members had the opportunity to meet with President