The Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued an official pronouncement in which it expressed its rejection of the arrest of two Colombian citizens in the Santa Rosa area, located in the Amazon river.
The Foreign Ministry said that the Government of Colombia does not recognize the Peruvian authority over said area and that the intervention of the Peruvian authorities lacks legitimacy.
In the statement, the institution said that the detainees were conducting technical studies for the expansion of the Victoria Regia dock, in Leticia, and that their activities did not represent a risk to the national integrity of Peru. In addition, he stressed that the Colombian consulate in Iquitos is providing consular assistance, within the framework of the Vienna Convention, to ensure that due process is respected.
Colombia said that the river formation known as Santa Rosa Island arose after the 1929 Binational Agreement and accused the Peruvian authorities in the area of having been “unilaterally imposed.” The Ministry reiterated its demand for immediate liberation and the need to solve the case shortly.
Despite the tension, the Colombian government expressed its willingness to deal with this and other bilateral issues with Peru through diplomatic channels, highlighting the importance of historical ties and cooperation between the two nations.
