In July 2013, the Organization of American States is removing their support for the anti-personnel landmine clearing efforts that have been going on in Ecuador since 1998. 

But the Minister of Defense, María Fernanda Espinosa, says the job is far from over. She says there are still 15,000 mines buried in the jungle in Ecuador’s south, left over from a decades-long border dispute with Peru that ended in the late 90s.

Although the OAS’s support was mainly technical, consisting of vehicles and equipment, Espinosa says removing the last of the explosive devices is going to cost $21 million, and Ecuador is looking for international help to finish the job by 2017.

The mines are all in an area of about 466,000 square metres. Lt. Crl. Patricio Hidalgo says Ecuador has 120 “deminers." Espinosa believes the countries that made and sold the mines to Ecuador should help with the clearing efforts.

According to a report, between the years 2000 and 2012, 248,600 square meters of land were cleared of 5,729 anti-personnel landmines.

Original story