March 31, 2008

The National Government wishes to inform that:

1. On March 30, at 11:10 a.m., a military helicopter, Gazella type, registration 316 of the Ecuadorian Army was seen in the Colombian air space.

2. Two Black Hawk helicopters from the Colombian Army which were in the area, tried to establish radio contact with the mentioned aircraft with negative results. The international procedures established for such a case have been followed.

3. In light of the above, the helicopter was ordered to land in the coordinate: latitude 01 degrees, 22 minutes, 59 seconds north and longitude 78 degrees, 37 minutes and 19 seconds west.

4. The Colombian authorities invited the military Ecuadorian aircraft to go to the airport in the city of Tumaco which is located less than 15 minutes away from the place of landing indicated previously. The occupants, two pilots and two passengers, all with the military uniforms of the Ecuadorian Armed Forces received frequency 118.1 in writing, with the purpose of keeping direct contact with the Colombian helicopters in their sojourn to Tumaco.

5. Once in the air, the Ecuadorian helicopter, escorted by the two Colombian helicopters, surprisingly descended and flew close to ground level on a southern direction, thus ignoring the instructions meted out by the Colombian authorities.

6. The military Commander of the Colombian Air Force decided to cancel any procedure against the helicopter since it was a military aircraft belonging to the Ecuadorian Air Force.  

7. The military authorities of Ecuador were informed on the above.

8. The Government of Colombia promotes the fraternal cooperation between the authorities and the peoples of Ecuador and Colombia in order to comply with the agreements of the Organization of American States (OAS).

Bogotá, March 31, 2008.