Quito, Ecuador: The Defense Ministry announced a civilian-led investigation of Ecuador's intelligence agencies on Monday after the president complained of not being kept informed and of alleged foreign infiltration of the services.

President Rafael Correa — a leftist critic of Washington — has accused Ecuador's intelligence agencies of being infiltrated by the CIA, without providing specific examples or proof.

U.S. Embassy spokesman Arnaldo Arbesu said Monday the embassy has not officially been notified of Correa's comments.

Last week, Correa demanded that the head of army intelligence be removed for not informing him of rebel ties to an Ecuadorean killed in a Colombian raid on a guerrilla camp in Ecuador. Correa has denounced the raid as a violation of Ecuador's sovereignty.

But news media later produced photos and video images of the Ecuadorean, Franklin Aisalla, with guerrilla commanders. Defense Minister Wellington Sandoval has said the army was aware of Aisalla's contacts with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.

Authorities have given no explanation for why he was not detained.

Colombia's March 1 raid in Ecuador's jungle killed 25 people, including FARC commander Raul Reyes. The attack provoked a regional crisis, with Venezuela and Ecuador briefly sending troops to the border with Colombia. Ecuador still has not restored diplomatic ties with Colombia.

Correa has accused the CIA of sharing Ecuadorean intelligence directly with Colombia, the United States' top recipient of military aid in Latin America.

"Ecuador's intelligence systems are totally infiltrated and subjugated to the CIA," Correa said during a Friday TV interview.

In a statement, the Defense Ministry said a high-level civilian commission will determine "the level of unauthorized ties of Ecuadorean intelligence officers and units" to foreign intelligence agencies.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/04/07/
america/LA-GEN-Ecuador-Intelligence-Probe.php