QUITO, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Friends and followers of Ecuador's former president Rafael Correa plan to demonstrate on Thursday in Quito to show their support for the beleaguered ex-head of state as he faces criminal charges.

"We hope many thousands of people will gather to express our indignation for the injustice and political persecution against ex-president Correa," his former foreign affairs minister Ricardo Patino told Xinhua on Wednesday.

Ecuadorian judicial authorities on Tuesday ordered the preventive arrest of ex-president Rafael Correa, who is charged with taking part in an attempted kidnapping of a political rival five years ago.

Correa, who was in office from 2007 to 2017, has moved to Belgium with his family. He denied the charge, claiming it was a political vendetta against him.

Correa had previously been ordered to report every 15 days to the National Court of Justice. His failure to do so led to the arrest warrant, said the authorities. Correa instead reported to Ecuador's consulate in Brussels.

"It's an abuse of justice," Patino said of the arrest warrant, adding the case "is politicized" and "there is no evidence" Correa was involved in the incident.

"So we are going into the streets to protest injustice and defend Correa's achievements," he said.

Protesters are to gather at 3 p.m. local time to march on government headquarters in downtown Quito.

Authorities investigating the alleged attempted kidnapping of opposition politician Fernando Balda, in Bogota, Colombia, in August 2012, say former officials with knowledge of the incident have pointed the finger at Correa.

A day after news of Correa's warrant came out, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro called for an end to the political "persecution" of progressive Latin American leaders, who have been beset by legal troubles after leaving office.