Ecuador to spend US$125 million to modernize 2 submarines

Ecuador is investing about US$125 million to modernize two war submarines in Chilean Navy shipyards, according to the Ecuadoran Ministry of Defense.

The “Shyri” submarine was delivered by the Chilean Navy Armory and Shipyards (ASMAR) on Oct. 19 at the Talcahuano port, about 500 kilometers (310.7 miles) south of Santiago, the ministry said in a statement. Another submarine, named “Huancavilca” is undergoing the identical modernization process at ASMAR and should be ready by February 2014.

“The units are property of the Ecuadoran Naval Force and will be used to defend national sovereignty,” the ministry said, adding the contract signed between the two nations in 2008 includes personnel training. “[The modernizing of the submarines] will benefit the country, since it will allow for better control of territorial waters, as well as combating drug trafficking and transnational crime.”

DENEL CHEETAHS FLYING HIGH IN ECUADOR

All 12 of the South African Cheetah supersonic fighters sold to Ecuador have successfully completed their test flights and are now ready for deployment by the Ecuadorian air force.

Riaz Saloojee, the Group Chief Executive of Denel, says the sale of the 10 Cheetah C (single seat) and two Cheetah D (dual seat) planes is now complete and has been delivered to the complete satisfaction of the client.

Denel Aviation will continue to provide a comprehensive maintenance and support service to the Ecuadorian Air Force (FAE) for the next five years with an option for renewal.

“This is an exciting business opportunity for Denel Aviation,” says Mr Saloojee. “We successfully sold a fighter plane that was designed in South Africa and used locally for many years to a major international client.

“Our future partnership with the Ecuadorian Air Force will provide an important platform to showcase local capabilities for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) work to the rest of the world” says Mr Saloojee.

Mike Kgobe, the CEO of Denel Aviation says the agreement to deliver the 12 fighters was signed in the Ecuadorian capital, Quito, in November 2010. The government of Ecuador decided to purchase the Cheetahs as part of a programme to modernise its aircraft fleet.

The Cheetahs were delivered in four batches with the final shipment completed earlier this year. Prior to dispatching the aircraft, they were returned to service and flight-tested before being disassembled locally for shipment and then carefully reassembled and flight-tested in Ecuador.

Denel Aviation provided technical and logistics support to the local teams conducting the tests in Ecuador. Ecuadorian pilots and ground support staff also received extensive conversion training to fly and maintain the South African planes.

“All the stringent tests have now been completed and the Cheetahs were declared ready for operational deployment,” says Mr Kgobe.

Mr Kgobe says a significant milestone was reached on 17 May 2012 when seven of the fighters took to the Ecuadorian skies simultaneously during a fly past to mark the handover of command of the country’s air force to Brigadier General Enrique Velasco.

Denel Aviation is the design authority of the single-seat fighter that was locally developed as a variant of the Mirage lll in the 1980s. The Denel Cheetahs were retired from active duty following the acquisition by South Africa of its new fleet of Saab Gripen fighter jets.

Negotiations between Denel Aviation, Armscor and the FAE started in 2009. An Ecuadorian team visited South Africa in April 2010 to inspect the Cheetah fleet and to participate in specific evaluation flights.

Denel Aviation subsequently visited FAE facilities to review the infrastructure and technical capability of the Ecuadorian Air Force to accommodate the Cheetah aircraft, to evaluate the level of support required and to identify the need for further training.

Assange subject to arrest for breaching bail conditions - Scotland Yard

London police say they are ready to arrest WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for breaching his bail conditions and spending the night in the Ecuador embassy while seeking political asylum in that country.

Assange was arrested by the Metropolitan Police Service's Extradition Unit on December 7, 2010 on a warrant issued by Sweden. He is wanted in that country on allegations of rape and sexual molestation. The same day he appeared at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court.

Julian Assange denies all allegations and says extradition to Sweden could in reality mean jail in the United States. The whistleblower is wanted in the US for exposing as many as 250,000 State Department secret cables.

Later the whistleblower was granted bail by the UK High Court. One of the conditions was that he should remain at his bail address at night, between the hours of 10 pm and 8 am. UK police say this condition has now been breached as Assange stayed in the Ecuador embassy Tuesday night and thus is now subject to arrest under the Bail Act.

Julian Assange remains at the Ecuador Embassy in London’s Hans Crescent, with Scotland Yard aware of his whereabouts.

As long as Assange stays in the embassy of the small South American country, he is beyond the reach of police. Once he steps outside he can immediately be arrested by the officers stationed outside the Edwardian apartment block that houses the embassy.

Australian citizen Assange, 40, hopes that Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa will grant him political asylum after previous messages of support.

Ecuador is believed to be considering his request while holding close consultations with the British authorities.

Shame & Disgrace of the UN as it objects to Human Rights fro Falkland Islanders

C24 chair calls Falklands’ referendum ‘political ploy’; praises Argentine president

The chair of the UN Decolonisation Committee Ecuadorian ambassador Diego Morejón Pazmiño described the UK announcement of a referendum in the Malvinas Islands as a “political ploy”, insisting that the Falkland Islanders can not appeal to the right of self determination.

Falklanders can not claim self determination, said Ambassador Morejon Pazmiño .

“The referendum is a political ploy from the English government when there is a certain symbolism over the Malvinas issue because it is the anniversary of the war and because the Argentine president is here in New York” and was one of the speakers at the Decolonization Committee said ambassador Morejón Parmiño.

Last Tuesday and two days before the 30th anniversary of the end of the Malvinas war (June 14), the elected government of the Falkland Islands announced they would be holding a referendum in the first half of 2013 so that the Islanders can decide on their “political status”.

The government of the Falkland Islands when making the announcement said that independent, international observers will be invited to observe the process and verify its outcome.

According to Morejon Pazmiño the Islanders can’t appeal to the right of self determination they claim, because in the Malvinas case “there is a principle of territorial integrity” from Argentina which is above other considerations and the UK is the “occupying power” since 1833.

“The position of England is not that of an administrative power, it is that of an occupying power. It does not administrate a colony that can be claimed as independent. That figure does not exist in the C24”, added the Committee chair.

“There are two issues: self determination and territorial integrity of States. You can’t accept a form of colonization when there is a principle of territorial integrity, which is the applicable form in the Malvinas case”, he added.

Of the 80 non autonomous territories that existed when the Decolonization Committee was created by the United Nations in 1960/61, only 16 are left, a majority of which under British control.

The chair of the Decolonization Committee underlined the attendance of Argentine President Cristina Fernandez on Thursday because “it gives the UN system credibility and likewise to the task of this Committee as a negotiating body”.

He also mentioned the fact that the Argentine head of state was accompanied by representatives from the congressional opposition which is “a clear signal of internal cohesion in Argentina in an issue so bonding as is that of sovereignty”.

Ambassador Morejon Pazmiño effusively congratulated and publicly praised the Argentine president following her speech and participated of the standing ovation which was started by the numerous Argentine delegation that accompanied Cristina Fernandez.

However he also admitted that until the United Kingdom does not modify its position “no negotiation is possible”.

The UK position is that above all is the Islanders’ right to self determination and as long as they wish to remain British and hold no discussions with Argentina on sovereignty, that is and will be the case.

Ecuador calls for an end to colonialism in Malvinas, Puerto Rico and Guantanamo

Ecuadorean Minister of Foreign Affairs Ricardo Patiño called on Wednesday for an end to the remains of colonialism and specifically mentioned the Falklands/Malvinas, Puerto Rico and the US Guantanamo base in Cuba.

Patiño: “we have always supported Argentina in its claim over the Malvinas”

Addressing the UN Regional seminar of the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization (also known as the C-24) in Quito, Patiño described as “shameful” the fact that al least ten territories remain listed as colonies.

He recalled that in the case of Malvinas, Argentina is “only demanding a negotiations process to end with this colonialism situation”.

“We have always supported Argentina in its claim over the Malvinas Islands. We have never been accomplices of the great powers vision towards the UK and its audacity of pretending to continue dominating colonially those Islands in the South Atlantic”, emphasized Patiño.

The Ecuadorean official also underlined the significance for Puerto Rico, “clearly a Latin American people, of having the option to become a nation with sovereignty that can run its own affairs” and recalled that next November a referendum will be held to determine the political relation the Puerto Rican people want to have with the United States.

As to Guantanamo in Cuba “which is not in the list of colonial dependencies, it is not only a foreign power redoubt but also a space to retain prisoners of war, which we know that besides that condition they are systematically tortured almost, almost…with the OK from some authorities”.

Patiño said he expects the regional seminar to advance in the decolonization process at a faster pace.

“Let’s not be so slow with this issue…we need to advance with determination”, insisted Patiño recalling that on “dozens of occasion” the UN has called on the UK to sit at the negotiations table with Argentina to address the Falklands/Malvinas sovereignty dispute.

“We expect the UK not to remain deaf to these UN requests”.

“When we like what the UN has to say, we immediately enforce it and if possible with heavy bombings and we go well beyond words. But when we don’t like what the UN says we dump it in the dust bin”, said Patiño on criticizing what the described as “double standards and double morals” from the leading powers.

The Pacific regional seminar has convened experts from sixty countries and international organizations.

“It is shameful that even today we are talking about colonized and excluded peoples. Let’s hope this is the last decade of subjugation and disdain towards those condemned in our XXI century” and the protocol referred to the ‘administering powers’ of non self governing territories is finally reviewed.

“It is in the highest interest of the international community to decolonize the 16 non self governing territories which still exist in the world”, said Patiño who asked from the delegates and representatives “a self critical” attitude of the seminar which ends on Friday.