Quito  - Ecuador expelled a US diplomat, the second one this month, accusing the US embassy's first officer, Mark Sullivan, of becoming involved in domestic and police affairs.

The government in Quito on Wednesday gave Sullivan 48 hours to leave the South American country.

A statement from the Foreign Ministry said it hoped relations with the United States would not be adversely affected.

On February 7, the government of President Rafael Correa expelled another US diplomat, Armando Astorga, an attache with the Department of Homeland Security at the US embassy, on similar accusations.

The US State Department called the expulsions "unjustified," CNN reported. A department spokesman said they stemmed from restrictions the US government placed on what Ecuadorian police could participate in US counter-narcotics training programmes.(dpa)