Arguing unavoidable commitments to a foreign security mission, the Noboa government postponed the meeting until the last week of January, while on the border the climate of mistrust grows due to the recent retaliatory measures taken by both countries.

The conflict, which began with the imposition of a 30% tax on Colombian goods by Quito, has triggered a symmetrical response from Bogotá.

The Colombian Ministry of Commerce not only applied a similar rate to Ecuadorian products, but also suspended the sale of electricity to the neighboring country.

According to investigations, the background of this dispute would not be strictly commercial, but rather a direct retaliation by Noboa in response to Petro’s insistence on the release of former vice president Jorge Glas, whom the Colombian president considers a “political prisoner” under psychological torture.

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The Ecuadorian Foreign Minister, Gabriela Sommerfeld, has defended her country’s position, ensuring that the measures seek to finance internal security and reduce smuggling that fuels violence in its territory.

In response to Ecuador’s refusal to immediately sit down for talks, Petro ordered absolute control at border crossings, by land and sea, with a specific objective: to stop the entry of fentanyl supplies.

“It is an order to stop any entry of fentanyl into Colombia from anywhere,” stated the president, who seeks to pressure the Noboa government not only in the economic sphere, but also in that of national security.

With the dialogue table postponed, trade between both nations enters a phase of uncertainty that threatens to make basic products more expensive for the citizens of both nations.

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