Correa Finalizes Team

President-elect of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, is finalizing his team ahead of taking power on January 15. On Wednesday he announced the appointment of Guadalupe Larriva as minister of defense, the first time a civilian and a woman has been tapped for the post. Also named were Trajano Andrade as minister of transport and public works, Jorge Encalada as head of agriculture and Carolina Chang who is to head up the health ministry. Correa is keeping three ministers from the current Palacio administration: Raul Vallejo as education minister, Maria Isabel Salvador as tourism minister, and Anita Alban Mora as head of the environment. Correa has so far named 17 ministers, including his economy minister – Ricardo Patiño – and his energy chief, Alberto Acosta, as well as Maria Fernanda Espinosa as his foreign minister, who were appointed earlier this month.