Guadalupe Larriva

Guadalupe Larriva González ( born July 28, 1956 in Cuenca, † 24 January, 2007 Manta ) was an Ecuadorian politician, geographer and high school teacher.

Larriva was since 1980 a teacher at the secondary school Colegio Manuel Córdova Galarza in her hometown, and since 1981 at the same time a professor at the Universidad de Cuenca, where she taught, among others, Physical and Political Geography and ecology. She was a member of the governing body of the largest, strongly left-leaning teachers' union in the country, Unión Nacional de Ecuadores ( UNE ). She was a member of the Socialist Party of Ecuador, for them in the legislative period 2003-2006 was Member of Parliament since her youth. In October 2005, she went to the chair of her party. Under her leadership, the Socialist Party supported the successful presidential candidate Rafael Correa. It was considered a admirer Hugo Chavez's and Michelle Bachelet.

After Correa took office, she was appointed on 15 January 2007 Defence Minister. She was the first woman to hold the post at all.

Larriva died nine days after their appointment in a helicopter crash near the Ecuadorian Air Force Base in Manta, which is leased in parts of the U.S. armed forces. Only two days earlier Larriva had announced that Ecuador will not renew the contract with the U.S. over the stationing of troops on the base in Manta; a decision that was one of the most important campaign issues Correas. Larrivas 17- year-old daughter and five officers of the army, including the pilots of the helicopter also died in the crash. Larriva was widowed in 1998 and had two more daughters. On 30 January 2007 the Correa appointed, also from Cuenca University Professor Lorena Escudero to Larrivas successor.

On 2 March 2007, presented the speaker of the international commission of inquiry, Leonardo Barreiro, the Ecuadorian president the final report on the accident. This rules out sabotage and technical failure and indicates that human error was responsible for the collision. The two Gazelle helicopters had to therefore stop in flight, because on the base belonging to the airport Manta a civilian aircraft had a starting permission. Here is the helicopter in which were the commander of the helicopter group and two pilots on board, pushed against the helicopter in which Larriva, her daughter and also two pilots were. Both pilots flew for the first time with night vision equipment. The final report was published on 22 May 2007. In it the described circumstances of the accident was confirmed and announced the opening of judicial proceedings against seven military of lower and middle ranks for violations of safety rules and instructions.

Swell

• Of Defense (Ecuador)
• Geograph ( 20th century)
• Born in 1956
• Died in 2007
• Woman