Latin American summit erupts in angry showdown

A summit of Latin American leaders aimed at cooling Colombia’s growing border crisis turned into an angry showdown today, with the president of Colombia accusing his Ecuadorian counterpart of having been financed by Colombian rebels.

The scene at the 20-nation Rio Group summit in the Dominican Republic became so bitter that at one point Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa walked out of the seaside meeting hall. He returned after what an aide said was a bathroom break to denounce Colombian President Alvaro Uribe as a liar.