Colombia spat boosts Correa's approval in Ecuador

QUITO, April 2 (Reuters) - A border dispute with Colombia has helped rebound Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa's popularity in March after it had dropped to record lows the previous month, a poll showed on Wednesday.

The Cedatos-Gallup poll said Correa's approval rating rose to 62 percent in March from 54 percent the previous month, its lowest since he took office more than a year ago.

The leftist leader's strong response against a March 1 Colombian military strike in Ecuadorean soil that killed more than 20 people including a top guerrilla leader won him wide support.

The bombing raid briefly raised the threat of war after Ecuador and Venezuela moved troops to their border with Colombia, but the crisis eased during a regional meeting a week later.

Tensions remain high after Ecuador on Monday sued Bogota in an international court over anti-drug fumigation it says hurts the health of Ecuadorean farmers living near the border.

"Historically, border conflicts have had a positive effect on approval ratings," said Cedatos head pollster Polibio Cordova. "A downward trend has been stopped by rising tensions."

Correa, a former economy minister, has maintained unusually high approval levels in the Andean country where the last three elected president have been toppled by congressional and popular upheaval.

The Cedatos survey, conducted over the weekend, interviewed 1,327 people and had a margin of error of 3.7 percentage points. (Reporting by Alonso Soto; editing by Mohammad Zargham)