Colombian President Gustavo Petro has accused Ecuador of bombing its territory after authorities found an explosive device near the two countries' border. The Ecuadorean counterpart quickly denied the allegation, which comes amid escalating tensions between the neighbors.
Speaking during a cabinet meeting, Petro said a bomb had been discovered near the frontier, adding that the incident would be investigated but suggesting the evidence pointed to Ecuadorian forces rather than armed groups operating in the region.
"A bomb thrown from an airplane has appeared very close to the border with Ecuador," Petro said. "It confirms a bit my suspicion... that they are bombing us from Ecuador, and it is not the armed groups."
Petro added that "there have already been many explosions" and said his government possesses a recording related to the incident that will be made public. He also said he asked the president to contact Ecuador's government to help defuse tensions. "We do not want to go to war," Petro said.
🇨🇴🇪🇨 | LO ÚLTIMO: Gustavo Petro denunció que el territorio colombiano "está siendo bombardeado desde Ecuador".
— Alerta Mundial (@AlertaMundoNews) March 17, 2026
Dijo que se encontró una bomba en la zona fronteriza que, según él, fue "lanzada desde un avión".
Afirmó que los responsables no son grupos armados irregulares, y… pic.twitter.com/eOjPjj6lRj
Ecuador's Daniel Noboa rejected the accusation on Tuesday, saying Ecuadorian military operations were taking place solely within Ecuador's territory as part of an offensive against organized crime groups.
"Your statements are false; we are acting in our territory, not in yours," Noboa wrote in a message directed at Petro. "We will not take a step back."
Noboa said recent airstrikes were aimed at criminal organizations that he said have established bases in Ecuador, many of them "largely Colombian." He added that his government would continue "bombing the places that served as hiding spots for these groups."
Desde el primer día hemos combatido al narcoterrorismo en todas sus formas: a los que operan en las calles y a los que, desde la política o incluso desde la función judicial, se prestan para proteger a los delincuentes.
— Daniel Noboa Azin (@DanielNoboaOk) March 17, 2026
Hoy, junto a la cooperación internacional, continuamos en…
The dispute comes amid worsening diplomatic and economic tensions between the two countries, as El Pais explains. Ecuador imposed a 30% "security tariff" on Colombian imports in January, later increasing it to 50%, accusing Colombia of failing to control drug trafficking along the border.
Colombia responded with tariffs on dozens of Ecuadorian products and temporarily cut electricity exports to the country, further escalating the dispute.
At the same time, Ecuador has intensified its security campaign against drug trafficking groups with support from the United States. Authorities launched large-scale operations over the weekend involving roughly 35,000 troops, armored vehicles and helicopters as part of a broader regional effort to combat organized crime networks.
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