Colombia ? Colombia’s president says he repeatedly asked Ecuador to deal with Colombian rebels operating from its territory before he ordered the cross-border raid that has set off an international crisis.

The fallout is mounting: Venezuela threatened to slash trade and nationalize Colombian-owned businesses. Venezuela and Ecuador have sent troops to their borders with Colombia. And on Thursday, Nicaragua broke off diplomatic relations with Colombia.

Latin American foreign ministers met in the Dominican Republican in hopes of finding a way to calm the region’s tensest flare-up in years, and the presidents of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and at least nine other nations were flying in to join them.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez arrived late Thursday in Santo Domingo and called the dispute with Colombia an international problem that threatens the region.

“Let’s choose between two paths – war or peace,” Chavez said.