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| Ecuador court orders ex-president Correa's arrest | Ecuador court orders ex-president Correa's arrest |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A court in Ecuador ordered the arrest of former president Rafael Correa on Tuesday over his alleged involvement in the 2012 kidnapping of an opponent. | |
| Mr Correa, who now lives in his wife's native Belgium, denies the allegations. | Mr Correa, who now lives in his wife's native Belgium, denies the allegations. |
| Judge Daniella Camacho said she has alerted Interpol in a bid to have the 55-year-old extradited. | |
| Former lawmaker Fernando Balda was briefly kidnapped in Bogotá, Colombia, where he fled during escalating tensions with Mr Correa. | |
| He accuses the then-president, who led the Andean nation between 2007 and 2017, of masterminding the abduction. | He accuses the then-president, who led the Andean nation between 2007 and 2017, of masterminding the abduction. |
| At the time, Balda faced charges in relation to a failed 2010 coup against Mr Correa, and he was later sentenced to one year in jail for endangering state security. | |
| On Tuesday, the judge said Mr Correa had failed to comply with an order to appear in court in Quito to assist with an investigation into the kidnapping claims. | |
| The ex-president instead presented himself to the Ecuadorian consulate in Brussels, which the judge said was a violation of her orders. | The ex-president instead presented himself to the Ecuadorian consulate in Brussels, which the judge said was a violation of her orders. |
| The three-term ex-president has repeatedly insisted to have had nothing to do with the botched abduction - which was intercepted by police after a few hours. | The three-term ex-president has repeatedly insisted to have had nothing to do with the botched abduction - which was intercepted by police after a few hours. |
| He recently tweeted: "They'll never prove anything, because there is nothing." | He recently tweeted: "They'll never prove anything, because there is nothing." |
| He accuses the current president, his former deputy Lenín Moreno, of conducting a smear campaign against him. The once-allied left-wing leaders split very publicly after Mr Moreno's election in May 2017. | |
| Mr Correa's lawyer told journalists that the latest decision was a result of political pressure from Mr Moreno, adding that he would appeal. | Mr Correa's lawyer told journalists that the latest decision was a result of political pressure from Mr Moreno, adding that he would appeal. |
| "This decision is arbitrary, it is a lie, it is defamatory," Caupolican Ochoa said. "I do not believe they are seeking justice but rather revenge." | "This decision is arbitrary, it is a lie, it is defamatory," Caupolican Ochoa said. "I do not believe they are seeking justice but rather revenge." |
| Arrest warrants have already been issued for three police intelligence agents, an ex-police commander and a former top intelligence official, who was arrested in Spain last month. | Arrest warrants have already been issued for three police intelligence agents, an ex-police commander and a former top intelligence official, who was arrested in Spain last month. |