Ecuadorean General Says He Was Fired

Gen. Frank Vargas, Ecuadorean air force commander accused of insubordination, said Friday he was fired by the defense minister after a shootout at the ministry.

“I went to talk to the defense minister and I was received with insolence and shots,” Vargas said in a radio telephone interview from an air force base north of Quito, the capital.

Vargas said he was dismissed by Defense Minister Luis Pineiros, but he gave no other details of the incident.

Vargas was accused of insubordination by the government after arguing with Pineiros and ordering three warplanes to fly over Quito. Vargas said the exercise was a show of support for him by the air force.