INTERPOL rejected a red notice on Sunday for the arrest and extradition of former president Rafael Correa over an alleged kidnapping attempt, saying there was no credible evidence linking him to the case.

A formal statement explaining the refusal to issue the warrant is expected from Interpol’s verification committee today.

The committee has been reviewing a request from the Ecuadorean government, which claims that Mr Correa was involved in the failed abduction of opposition MP Fernando Balda in 2012.

Judge Daniella Camacho, who is overseeing the case, suspended a hearing scheduled to take place today during which Ecuadorean Attorney General Paul Perez was due to present the evidence against Mr Correa.

The allegations represent the latest attempt to bring criminal charges against a former South American leader, amid suspicions that political manoeuvres are ongoing to block popular leftwingers from standing in elections.

Most notably, former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has been jailed for 12 years on trumped-up corruption charges.

Mr Correa lives in Belgium but has hinted that he could return to Ecuadorean politics. He denies the allegations against him.