Ecuador Rules Out Visa Requirements for Colombian Travelers

In an effort to spur up tourism and trade, and even now when the Ecuadorian government seeks to beef up immigration controls, Quito has ruled out possible visa requirements for Colombian trekkers willing to visit the country.

Ecuador’s Tourism Vice Minister Maria Eulalia Mora told journalists during an international meeting of travel agencies recently held in Bogota that her administration’s decision only intends to buttress bilateral integration.

“It’s all about working together in the development of both countries and knocking down possible hurdles along the way. That’s how we construe things in our relationship, so I want to say loud and clear that Ecuador won’t demand visas for Colombian travelers,” she said.

Last January, the Ecuadorian government had voiced its intention of demanding visas for Colombian tourists coming to the country as a way of thwarting the entry of rebels and drug smugglers through the border.

The proposal popped up following the detention earlier this year of Simon Trinidad, a ringleader of the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) during a police raid against illegal aliens in Quito.