QUITO (Reuters) - Ecuador's President Rafael Correa warned on Saturday that diplomatic tension with Colombia will rise if an Ecuadorean was among the dead in a bombing raid on a rebel camp inside its territory this month.
Correa broke off diplomatic ties with Bogota after theMarch 1 Colombian attack on a guerrilla camp in Ecuador thatkilled more than 20 people, including a top rebel commander.
The conflict briefly awoke fears of war in the Andeanregion when Ecuador and Venezuela ordered troops to theirborders with Colombia, but tempers cooled at a regional summitthat led to a handshake between the three countries' leaders.
Despite an apology from Colombia, Correa has not reopenedformal relations and said on Saturday he would look for ways tofurther punish his neighbour if it became clear an Ecuadoreanwas killed in the raid.
"It would be extremely grave if it is proven that aEcuadorean died," the left-wing president said on a radioprogram. "We will not let this murder go unpunished."
He did not specify what type of action he might take.
Colombian planes bombed the camp belonging to theRevolutionary Armed Forced of Colombia just inside Ecuadoreanterritory on March 1, killing over 20 people including therebel's second in command, Raul Reyes.
Most Latin American countries joined Ecuador in condemningthe attack.
Correa ordered an investigation after family membersclaimed one of the bodies belongs to an Ecuadorean locksmithcalled Franklin Aizalia.
Colombia's civil war often spills over into neighbouringcountries. Ecuador and Colombia share about 400 miles (644 km)border that is difficult to police.
(Reporting by Carlos Andrade; Writing by Frank Jack Daniel,editing by Alan Elsner)
