Ecuador’s left-wing president, Rafael Correa, yesterday accused a US diplomat he expelled of taking computers and sensitive police files from the country.
Mr Correa threw the embassy official out on Saturday, claiming he had meddled in police affairs by trying to handpick officers involved in a US aid project.
“A foreign embassy official takes computers with him . . . and information from the national police. We won’t stand for this. We will investigate and make a complaint,” Mr Correa told navy officers in the city of Guayaquil.
“The days of colonialism are behind us,” said Mr Correa, an ally of Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, who faces re-election in April.
Mr Correa, a US-trained economist, has generally had good relations with the US, but political analysts say he could bolster his poll ratings by taking a tough line on what he deems as foreign interference.
US authorities have downplayed the incident, claiming the official had already left Ecuador in January. – (Reuters)