Ecuador's new defense minister sworn in

People's Daily Online, September 01, 2007

Ecuador's new defense minister Wellington Sandoval was sworn in on Friday by President Rafael Correa.

The ceremony took place in the city of Chimbo in Bolivar province, 235 km south of Quito, officials said.

Sandoval, a physician who replaced Lorena Escudero, now the migration secretary, had served as public health minister in the previous government of Alfredo Palacio.

He was the third defense minister sworn in by Correa, whose government took power on January 15.

Escudero, who resigned on Thursday, had been successor of deceased socialist leader and defense minister Guadalupe Larriva, who died in February in an aerial accident.

Larriva was the first woman to serve as defense minister in Ecuador, but died after just nine days in the job.

Public Administration general secretary Vinicio Alvarado said Friday that Escudero's resignation did not have specific reasons, although it had certainly been an intense and tiring experience for her.

Source: Xinhua