Colombian Raid of FARC in Ecuador Escalates Conflict

"This isn't going to cool down until the aggressor is condemned," said Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa.

In a bid to calm the crisis, the Organisation of American States (OAS) criticised Colombia but stopped short of outright condemnation.

Ecuador and Venezuela moved troops to their borders after Saturday's raid.

Both countries also cut diplomatic ties with Bogota in response to the incursion, which resulted in the killing of a senior rebel commander, Raul Reyes, and 16 others.

Colombia has apologised to Ecuador but said the raid was necessary.

A diplomatic crisis in South American is continuing to grow after Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's president, called a Colombian operation on Ecuadorean soil a "war crime." He made the statement after meeting Rafael Correa, his Ecuadorean counterpart, in Caracas. Cristina Fernandez, Argentina's president, was also to meet Chavez on Thursday.

Fernandez aims is to try to defuse the row that has Venezuela deploying thousands more troops to its borders with Colombia, including 10 tank battalions, according to the country's defence minister. But despite the massing of air, sea and land forces, Chavez says he is committed to peace.

Sovereignty 'violated'

The meeting between Chavez and Correa on Wednesday was part of a move to drum up international support against Colombia. A Colombian military operation that killed Raul Reyes, a Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) leader, in Ecuador last weekend triggered the tension between the countries.

Ecuador is claiming Colombia violated its sovereignty by carrying out the strike on its territory.