REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, QUITO -- Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa abruptly pulled out of a public lunch on Tuesday because of what he called "a serious threat" of attack against him.

The threat was being investigated and one person had been arrested.

The socialist leader, 52, was in Tabacundo, 50 kilometers (30 miles) from Quito, when the town mayor told him he had received threatening text messages via mobile phone.

Correa cited two messages sent to the mayor, Frank Gualsaqui.

Correa said: "The message said verbatim, 'What you think, you're the one who saved the people? It is wrong. We will kill you along with Correa. Today, you'll see.'"

According to Correa, shortly after, the mayor received a second threat warning about the impending death of "many people" in a park where the president was expected to visit.

His security team advised him to suspend his activities and stay at his hotel.

Correa added that investigators had caught the owner of the phone but that person denied sending the threatening messages.

The president, an economist by training, said that he has received many threats in the past but this was different because it had been determined the messages were sent from nearby.

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