Peru-Ecuador repercussions

While Ecuador and Peru have agreed to a cease-fire in their week-old border dispute, the damage done by the fighting may be very hard to overcome. Old grudges that had been simmering below the surface between the countries are out in the open again.

There is evidence that Ecuador got the worse of the struggle, losing several border camps and suffering high losses among soldiers.

For Ecuadorean President Jaime Roldos, there is also the threat that Ecuador's generals, after losing their mountain battle with Peru, will want to take over the government. They had reluctantly turned the reins of government over to civilians in 1979 after 10 years of running the country.

Even more ominous is the possibility that the Peru-Ecuador fighting will result in a breakdown of the Andean Pact, a 10-year-old economic association whose members are Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.

Chile has already opted out of the pact, and Bolivia's new military government is considering the same course. If either Ecuador or Peru should leave, the association would pro bably collapse.