“Defense Minister Guadalupe Larriva, a 50-year-old former teacher and senior official of a socialist political party supporting Correa, died in the crash in a Pacific coastal province east of Quito.” Link.

Ecuador’s defense minister dies in helicopter collision

Ecuador’s first female defense minister was killed in a mid-air collision of two helicopters [January 24, 2007] after only nine days in office, government and military officials said.

… Defense Minister Guadalupe Larriva, a 50-year-old former teacher and senior official of a socialist political party supporting Correa, died in the crash in a Pacific coastal province east of Quito, Correa told reporters.

Correa gave no specific details on the cause of the collision that killed Larriva, her teenage daughter and five military personnel aboard the Gazelle helicopters.

… Ecuadorean Vice President Lenin Moreno said he received a report from the military saying it was an unfortunate accident. Other Cabinet members dressed in black gathered inside Moreno’s home in Quito to mourn Larriva’s death.

Correa wanted Larriva, one of a few civilians to lead Ecuador’s 176-year-old military, to control an institution that has played a part in the ouster of three presidents in the last decade by publicly withdrawing its support when street protests erupted.

Larriva, one of the most popular members of the Cabinet, had promised to strengthen presidential control of military ranks, improve salaries for the armed forces and make the promotions system more transparent.

[CNN - January 25, 2007]

Ecuador army chief sacked over errors leading to defense minister’s death

Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa sacked armed forces chief Gen. Pedro Machado on Friday [Feb. 2, 2007], citing security errors which led to a helicopter crash that killed the defense minister and six others in January.

“General Machado has been removed from his post, not so much due to the accident in itself, nor due to speculation over a possible murder, but because of the administrative and security decisions he made ahead of the flight,” said Ricardo Patino, acting defense minister.

Machado, who only took office on Jan. 14, will be replaced by Guillermo Vasconez, head of the joint chiefs of staff.

… Patino said that Ecuador will also launch an official investigation into Col. Rene Vazquez, who was in charge of the exercise.

“Vazquez will have to fulfill the official requirements relating to an investigation of his actions and decisions ahead of the accident,” said Patino.

Patino said President Rafael Correa had appointed Lorena Escudero as the country’s new defense minister. Escudero, a 41-year-old college professor, is to take charge late Friday. She will become the second woman defense minister in Ecuador’s history.

[Xinhua - February 3, 2007]

History of Ecuador - mid to late 20th century

Recession and popular unrest led to a return to populist politics and domestic military interventions in the 1960s, while foreign companies developed oil resources in the Ecuadorian Amazon. In 1972, the construction of the Andean pipeline, which brought oil from the east to the coast was completed, making Ecuador South America’s second largest oil exporter. That same year a “revolutionary and nationalist” military junta overthrew the government, remaining in power until 1979, when elections were held under a new Constitution. Jaime Roldós Aguilera was elected President, and he governed until May 24, 1981, when he died in a plane crash. By 1982, the government of Osvaldo Hurtado faced an economic crisis, characterized by high inflation, budget deficits, a falling currency, mounting debt service, and uncompetitive industries, leading to chronic government instability.

Many years of mismanagement, starting with the mishandling of the country’s debt during the 1970s military regime, had left the country essentially ungovernable. By the mid 1990s, the government of Ecuador has been characterized by a weak executive branch that struggles to appease the ruling classes, represented in the legislative and judiciary. The last three democratically elected presidents have failed to finish their terms during the period 1996-2006.

[Wikipedia]

Jaime Roldós Aguilera

Jaime Roldós Aguilera (b. November 5, 1940 in Guayaquil, Ecuador - d. May 24, 1981) was President of Ecuador from 10 August 1979 to 24 May 1981. He was a reformer, and was threatened more than once by personal enemies. Roldos and his wife founded the People, Change and Democracy Party or Partido Pueblo, Cambio y Democracia in Spanish. He was President during a brief military encounter with Peru in 1981. He died in an airplane crash later in 1981 when his Air Force plane (variously identified as either a Beechcraft King Air or an Avro turboprop) crashed in heavy rain near the Peruvian border. All eight other passengers and crew died as well.

Many Ecuadorians claimed that Roldós’ death was actually an assassination carried out by the United States. American businessman John Perkins alleges in his book Confessions of an Economic Hit Man that Roldós was assassinated by a bomb located in a tape recorder in order to serve American interests in Ecuadorian oil prospects (Perkins originally claimed Roldós died in a helicopter crash; this has since been corrected). Roldós died just months before Panamanian head-of-state Omar Torrijos also died in a plane crash. Other Ecuadorians believed that Roldós had been killed by the Peruvian government.

[Wikipedia]