Ecuador military crisis to test Correa's mettle

QUITO-Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa faces a stiff battle to increase his influence over the military, after his top commanders quit and ended his honeymoon with an institution that ousted three presidents in a decade.Correa's strong popularity should shield him from major fallout, but experts say the leftist must tread carefully. The armed forces have strong economic ties and for years have been a major arbitrator of the Andean country's unstable politics. Correa fired his defense minister on Tuesday and three top military commanders quit in protest a day later after the president claimed their intelligence units shared data with the United States during a border crisis with Colombia in March."Correa has a clear advantage because of his high popularity and divisions inside the military, but there will always be a risk if he does not implement real changes to the institution," said Bertha Garcia, a military expert at Quito's Catholic University."If he wins this battle with the military, he would secure stability for his leftist policies," she added.A popular former economy minister who took office just over a year ago, Correa has already won over Congress and increased his influence over top courts as he vows to challenge Ecuador's corrupt elites.Since Ecuador returned to democracy in 1979, the armed forces have played a central role in the country's politics, helping oust the last three elected presidents by withdrawing their backing during congressional upheaval and protests.Correa last week accused the military of delivering intelligence to the CIA, which he said shared it with U.S.-ally Colombia after Bogota's raid on a rebel camp inside Ecuador sparked a diplomatic spat between the neighbors.
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