Copter collision kills defense chief
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New Ecuadorean Defense Minister Guadalupe Larriva and a daughter were killed when two helicopters collided near a military base outside Manta, a Pacific port 150 miles southeast of the capital, Quito.
In addition to Larriva, 50, and daughter Claudia Avila, 17, the crash killed five members of the military, a spokeswoman said.
Vice President Lenin Moreno said “it appears that the blades collided” during a night test.
Larriva, Ecuador’s first female defense chief, was the first who was not a military veteran. She shook off concerns about resistance she might encounter, saying she expected more curiosity than animosity.
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