Wednesday, January 03, 2007

New Defense Minister in Ecuador

President-elect Rafael Correa named a woman as his new Defense Minister. This makes Ecuador the third country to do so, behind Chile and Colombia. In general, it is becoming more commonplace for Latin American women to obtain positions of political power, either elected or appointed. More so, I would say, than in the United States, where the process is much slower.

It is also positive to break the traditional mold of a defense minister as a male, either active-duty or retired military. The armed forces of Latin America have been so insular for so long that any change is welcome. Naming a woman to this post will not prompt earth shattering changes, but can contribute in its own small way to bringing the armed forces into a more democratic 21st century. This is especially important in Ecuador, where the military has been very active politically in recent years.

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