QUITO, ECUADOR — Intelligence failures, security lapses and the lack of civilian oversight brought to light by a recent Colombian military incursion into his country have prompted Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa to overhaul the command of his armed forces.
Correa's shake-up comes in a nation where the military enjoys a high measure of autonomy, wields considerable economic and political power and has played a hand in the overthrow of three presidents since 1997.
"Past presidents couldn't have attempted this, but Correa has space to maneuver," said Bertha Garcia, a professor at the Pontifical Catholic University in Quito, the capital, highlighting Correa's favorable standing in opinion polls and the country's oil windfall. "His advantages include enormous popular support, $120-per- barrel oil and the public's fatigue with the old system."
Correa's displeasure with his armed forces was evident last month when he forced the resignation of Defense Minister Wellington Sandoval and three top security force officers: Joint Chiefs commander Gen. Hector Camacho, army commander Gen. Guillermo Vasconez and National Police commander Gen. Bolivar Cisneros.
Correa is expected to appoint a seven-member commission in the next several days to look into what he says is possible CIA infiltration of his military's intelligence.
The military's exalted status under Ecuadorean law is expected to change with the new constitution that Correa's legislative allies are drafting in a special assembly, which will be put to a national vote. The nation's security council, which sets the military's strategic course, will emerge with a more civilian makeup, Deputy Defense Minister Miguel Carvajal said in an interview.
"We'll see a more multi- dimensional council, including people from more areas of civilian life," Carvajal said.
The March 1 incursion by Colombian forces to kill the No. 2 commander of the rebel Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, Raul Reyes, called Ecuador's military readiness into question. So Correa has ordered the $200-million purchase of 24 Super Tucano aircraft from Brazil, plus a new radar system to better secure his borders.
The actions reflect Correa's frustration with a military that at times seems to be working at cross purposes with his government.
