Correa Warns on Attempts to Turn LatAm into a Middle East

Quito, Apr. 24 . -Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa publicly announced the decision of avoiding that "insane groups, probably supported by foreign bases, want to turn the Latin American region in a new Middle East."

When handing over Ecuador's Armed Forces Top Command posts, Correa emphasized the importance of the investment carried out in the defence of the State's sovereignty and in improving the operational capacity of the military institution.

Making reference to the statements made by Colombian presidential candidates, of supporting the attack to the Ecuadorian territory of Angostura on March 1, 2008 and expressing publicly their will to repeat it if it were necessary, Correa stressed the need of being ready to defend the country.

Before the existence of retarded ideas that pretend to justify military interventions in sister nations, the Ecuadorian president said US$ 1.6 billions have been invested in the defense.

Correa pointed out that the investment in defense constitutes in total the 2.7 percent of the Gross Domestic Product, and it is only lower than the education expense, but he made clear that there could be no development without defense, nor defense without development.(Prensa Latina)