Ecuador's President Rafael Correa at a news conference during an OPEC summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Sunday 18 Nov 2007

Ecuador has lodged a formal protest to the United States regarding the treatment last week of President Rafael Correa by U.S. immigration officials.

Ecuador's foreign ministry said Tuesday it had lodged the "strongest protest" to the U.S. government for the "lack of basic manners" shown to Mr. Correa at the international airport in Miami, Florida.  It said the U.S. government had been told in advance of the president's layover.

Mr. Correa refused to be searched by U.S. immigration officials last Thursday as he traveled through Miami on his way to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the summit of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

Earlier this week, U.S. Ambassador to Quito Linda Jewell expressed regret over the incident, but said U.S. officials had not received advanced notice of Mr. Correa's layover in Miami.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.