(Adds Colombian reaction)
QUITO (AFP)--An Ecuadoran judge has issued an arrest warrant for a former defense minister of Colombia over a deadly raid he ordered against leftist rebels inside Ecuador, local media reported.
The military raid, ordered by Juan Manuel Santos when he was defense minister, killed 25 rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, operating inside Ecuador, including FARC number two Raul Reyes.
An Ecuadorean nation was also among those killed.
The cross-border raid was denounced at the time by Ecuador as a violation of the country's sovereignty and prompted a diplomatic rift between the South American neighbors.
Judge Daniel Mendez, who is heading an investigation into the raid, issued the arrest warrant Monday, but experts say it has little chance of being executed.
In Bogota, Colombian interior minister Fabio Valencia rejected the arrest warrant, saying the judge had exceeded his authority.
Defending the raid, he said: "We acted against terrorism the way we had to and did what any other country would do."
Ecuador has announced its intention to pursue a case against Colombia before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
According to the Ecuadorian daily newspaper El Commercio, Santos is wanted for murder and violating Ecuador's internal security.
He recently resigned from his position as defense minister in order to pursue a possible presidential run.
The 57-year-old was also responsible for the military operation last July that freed French-Colombian citizen Ingrid Betancourt and 14 other hostages from FARC rebels holding them in the heart of the Colombian jungle.
Click here to go to Dow Jones NewsPlus, a web front page of today's most important business and market news, analysis and commentary: http://www.djnewsplus.com/access/al?rnd=vtgt79XbJ%2FTpTPxxSJGGtQ%3D%3D. You can use this link on the day this article is published and the following day.

Publié le 30 Juin 2009 Copyright © 2009 Dowjones