Ecuador President Rafael Correa says he has recalled the country's ambassador to Israel for consultations in Quito following the deadly Israeli Navy raid against on a Gaza –bound flotilla.

In a statement released Wednesday night, the Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry said the ambassador would leave Tel Aviv immediately, "as an act of protest against the attack which left civilians killed and injured."

Another Latin American country, Nicaragua, took an even harsher step on Wednesday, when it decided to cut off its diplomatic ties with Israel.

"Nicaragua suspends from today its diplomatic relations with the government of Israel," President Daniel Ortega's communications chief Rosario Murillo said in a statement read on Radio Ya.

Managua "underscored the illegal nature of the attack on a humanitarian mission in clear violation of international and humanitarian law," added Murillo, who doubles as poetess and first lady.

Nicaragua reiterated its support for the Palestinian people and urged an end to the blockade on the Gaza Strip.

Another attack on Israel came Wednesday night from Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who blasted the Navy operation with harsh words during a speech on local television: "Israel is a damned, terrorist and murderous country. Long live the Palestinian people!"

Chavez slammed the American response to the events, which he said was too gentle. "The Obama administration condemns terror, as long as it's not committed by the US or Israel," he said.

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