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QUITO, Ecuador (CNN) -- Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa's former personal secretary, Javier Ponce, took over as defense minister in a move analysts said gives Correa greater control over the military.
Ponce succeeds Wellington Sandoval, who resigned amid accusations by Correa that the CIA had infiltrated the armed forces.
Analysts called the change on Wednesday an indirect result of the crisis between Ecuador and Colombia triggered by a March 1 raid by Colombia that killed two dozen Colombian rebels on Ecuadorian soil. Ecuador responded by cutting off diplomatic relations with Colombia and rushing troops to the two nations' border.
Correa had criticized the military for not sharing military intelligence indicating the presence of Colombian rebels on Ecuadorian soil. Military leaders denied Correa's charge of CIA infiltration and defended military agreements with the United States and Colombia as necessary for the exchange of information. E-mail to a friend 
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