QUITO, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Ecuador has recalled its ambassador to Colombia for consultations following recent remarks by Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Ecuador's ex-vice president, Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld said Wednesday.

Sommerfeld said Ambassador Arturo Felix Wong is expected to return to Ecuador within hours or by Thursday at the latest, after Quito sent a diplomatic note of protest to Colombia on Tuesday.

"We are taking decisions to reaffirm our strong protest over the terms used by President Petro and the interference in decisions of Ecuadorian state institutions," she said in an interview with Radio Centro Digital.

The foreign minister stressed that the case of former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas is a legal matter, not a political one, adding that Ecuador must defend its sovereignty and dignity.

She said Colombia should not comment on the case or seek international involvement, noting that Ecuador respects legal processes and does not interfere in Colombia's internal affairs.

In its protest note, Ecuador rejected Petro's description of Glas as a "political prisoner," saying he was convicted through legitimate judicial proceedings for corruption-related crimes. ■