Ecuador's president said Monday that a deal to release political prisoners -- including former Colombian Sen. Ingrid Betancourt -- was nearly complete before a Colombian raid into his country Saturday.
"I can tell you we were involved in very close conversations with the guerrillas, and we were very close to gaining the release of 12 captives, one of them Ingrid Betancourt," Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa told reporters.
Correa announced Monday that his country had severed diplomatic ties with Colombia. 
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