Ecuadorians bid farewell to defense minister

Thousands of Ecuadorians on Friday bid farewell to Defense Minister Guadalupe Larriva, her 17-year old daughter Claudia Avila and five military officers who died in an air crash on Wednesday.

Larriva, her daughter Claudia and the armed forces' officials were killed on Wednesday night in a mid-air collision between two helicopters near a military base in Manta, some 260 km southeast of Quito.

The funeral took place in the Inmaculada Concepcion Cathedral and was hosted by monsignor Alberto Luna Tobar. Larriva and her daughter were buried in the southern city of Cuenca amid military honors and the red flags of Larriva's Socialist Party.

Larriva, 50, the country's first female defense minister, was appointed by Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa and took office on Jan. 15. Correa has ordered a special commission to investigate the collision.

Source: Xinhua