BOGOTA, (Reuters) – An Ecuadorean judge ordered the arrest of a former Colombian official involved in a 2008 bombing raid carried out in Ecuador, but Bogota refused to recognize his jurisdiction, intensifying cross-border diplomatic tensions.
In March of last year, then-Colombian Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos ordered the bombardment of a rebel camp set up on Ecuador’s side of the border. Among those killed in the raid was Raul Reyes, a top commander of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.
Ecuador’s leftist government broke off diplomatic relations over the bombing mission, saying that Colombia violated its sovereignty. An Ecuadorean judge from the Amazon region where the raid took place ordered the arrest of Santos on Monday.
Colombia shot back with a statement saying that the judge had no right to order the arrest of Santos or anyone else involved in the bombardment.
