Overview
- Ecuador, which announced Thursday it will lift tariffs on Colombian imports from 50% to 100% starting May 1, said Colombia failed to take effective steps to secure the shared border.
- Following Thursday’s hike, President Gustavo Petro on Friday ordered his ambassador in Quito to return immediately and called the measure a “monstrosity.”
- Quito had already recalled its envoy and filed a formal protest after Petro called ex–vice president Jorge Glas a political prisoner, while Ecuador notes Glas has final prison sentences for corruption.
- Ecuador’s foreign minister confirmed talks mediated by the Andean Community are suspended, and Colombia has kept reciprocal trade measures and suspended electricity sales that businesses say are choking cross‑border commerce.
- Security experts warn the freeze in coordination will help drug and smuggling networks along the 600‑kilometer frontier, increasing contraband and costs for border communities that rely on legal trade.