Lucio Gutiérrez
Encyclopedia
Lucio Edwin Gutiérrez Borbúa (born March 23, 1957) served as President of Ecuador from January 15, 2003 to April 20, 2005.
that replaced President Jamil Mahuad
for three hours in January 2000. Mahuad was forced to abandon office after demonstrations in Quito by thousands of indigenous Ecuadorians protested Mahuad government's support of neo-liberal economic policies, particularly proposed dollarization plans. Instead of ordering to disperse the protesters, then Col. Gutiérrez and the army stood aside and let them take over the national parliament
. Under pressure from the United States
, and lacking support from the indigenous movement, the Junta was dissolved by General Carlos Mendoza and the Congress named then Vice President Gustavo Noboa
as president of the country. The armed forces jailed Gutiérrez for six months, but he was discharged, and faced no criminal prosecution despite the fact he was a direct participant in the "coup d'état" that broke the democratic regime of Ecuador.
(PSP), named for the date of the 2000 protest, and the Pachakutik Movement, on a platform of fighting corruption and reversing neoliberal economic reforms. He defeated banana
magnate and the wealthiest man in Ecuador Álvaro Noboa
in the second round with 55% of the popular vote, through a partnership with the leftist and indigenous movement parties, MPD and Pachacutik, respectively.
Gutiérrez alienated many of his supporters by supporting the Free Trade Area of the Americas
(FTAA) and by keeping the status-quo on economic issues. After three months of government, Gutiérrez broke his alliance with leftist parties and reached an agreement with the PSC, continuing the economic policies of its predecessors and increasing bonds with the United States. The government received increased frequent accusations of corruption and nepotism. After two years, Gutiérrez broke the agreement with the PSC, further weakening the government politically.
In November 2004 his former left-wing supporters joined with the conservative Social Christian Party (PSC) in launching an effort to impeach him on various charges. Gutiérrez was accused of embezzlement by the PSC for using funds, resources and public property in favor of PSP candidates in the elections of 2004, and by the Democratic Left (ID), MPD and Pachakutik for jeopardizing the security of the state for literally inciting the people to burn the courts. Impeachment proceedings collapsed when two legislators broke party lines, and a majority (51) votes could not be reached to continue the proceedings.
In December 2004, Gutiérrez alleged that the Supreme Court
of Justice was biased in favor of the (Partido Social Cristiano
/PSC). His political party -PSP-, together with PRIAN of (Álvaro Noboa
), PRE of (Abdalá Bucaram
), independents and MPD, voted in the Congress for the reorganization of the Supreme Court of Justice via majority resolution. His adversaries sustained that the Constitution gives autonomy to the judicial branch and does not authorize Congress to interfere in the judiciary by removing or nominating judges. Judges were replaced by allies to PRE, PRIAN and PSP political parties with the clear intention of dropping criminal charges against former president Abdalá Bucaram
, accused of several acts of corruption during his presidency which led to his exile in Panama from 1997 until April 2005.
and revoked the newly appointed Supreme Court of Justice. This was a controversial move that provoked conflicting reactions and was seen by analysts as a dictatorial act. The state of emergency was lifted on April 16, as the State of Emergency was disobeyed by citizens and General Aguas of the army, who refused to enforce it, and Ecuador's Congress was expected to hold a session in order to decide whether to ratify the Supreme Court's dismissal.
On April 20, 2005, following a week of massive demonstrations, the Congress of Ecuador (meeting in a special session in a private building, CIESPAL, with opposition delegates only), on the grounds that Gutiérrez had abandoned his constitutional duties, voted 60-2 (38 members, including the great majority of PRE/PRIAN/PSP deputies, did not vote) to remove Gutiérrez from office and appointed Vice President
Alfredo Palacio
to serve as President. At the same time, the Ecuadorian Comando Conjunto de las Fuerzas Armadas, (a military body equivalent to the Joint Chiefs of Staff
), publicly expressed that they were withdrawing their support for Gutiérrez, who had no option but to leave the Presidential Palace on a helicopter. He sought political asylum
in the house of the Brazil
ian Ambassador
in the north of Quito
, after his attempt to leave the city aboard a plane at Quito International Airport
was thwarted by hundreds of angry protesters that breached airport security and blocked the airstrip.
via Rio Branco
on April 24, 2005. He renounced his asylum, then went to Peru
and the United States
. In September he was reported to be seeking political asylum in Colombia
. This was offered on October 4 only to be refused by Gutierrez on October 13. Then on October 15 he voluntarily returned to Ecuador vowing to "use all legal and constitutional means to retake power." He was arrested at the "Eloy Alfaro
" Manta Airport in Manta
and taken to a prison
in Quito
. He was locked in a maximum security
cell on charges of attempting to subvert Ecuador's internal security by repeatedly proclaiming to the international media
that he continued to be the legitimate President of the Republic of Ecuador.
On March 3, 2006, a judge in Ecuador dismissed the charges against Gutierrez. A very notorious political agreement ensued between Gutierrez and the PSC (Partido Social Cristiano
). Gutierrez and the deputies of PSP sided with the PSC in order to gain a majority for controlling the country's Constitutional Court. Upon his release, Gutierrez thanked the Ecuadorian people for their support and vowed that he would participate and win the presidential election in October.
On October 15, 2006, his Patriotic Society Party (PSP), led by his brother Gilmar Gutierrez, got the third place in the national election with 17% of the total votes, with the support of the economically disadvantaged, landless farmers and indigenous population.
In the 2009 Presidential Election
, Lucio Gutierrez ran for president of Ecuador under the flag of PSP. In the presidential election held on April 26, he came in second with 26.8% of the vote, losing to Rafael Correa
. Lucio declared election fraud even though all the polls conducted well before election day gave a great advantage to Rafael Correa
, and even when international observers from the European Union
declared total transparency of the election process.
so that if the "people give him the opportunity, he will have an experienced cabinet."
Political rise
Gutiérrez was prominent in a popular uprising2000 Ecuadorean coup d'état
The 2000 Ecuadorean coup d'état took place on 21 January 2000 and resulted in President Jamil Mahuad being sent into exile, and replaced by Vice President Gustavo Noboa...
that replaced President Jamil Mahuad
Jamil Mahuad
Jorge Jamil Mahuad Witt is an Ecuadorian lawyer and politician and the 51st President of Ecuador from August 10, 1998 to January 21, 2000. There was a severe economic crisis in Ecuador , which had led to a 60% cut in the armed forces budget...
for three hours in January 2000. Mahuad was forced to abandon office after demonstrations in Quito by thousands of indigenous Ecuadorians protested Mahuad government's support of neo-liberal economic policies, particularly proposed dollarization plans. Instead of ordering to disperse the protesters, then Col. Gutiérrez and the army stood aside and let them take over the national parliament
National Congress of Ecuador
The National Congress was the unicameral legislative branch of the government of Ecuador prior to November 2007....
. Under pressure from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and lacking support from the indigenous movement, the Junta was dissolved by General Carlos Mendoza and the Congress named then Vice President Gustavo Noboa
Gustavo Noboa
Gustavo José Joaquín Noboa Bejarano is an Ecuadorian politician, former President of Ecuador and Vice President during Jamil Mahuad's government.- Education :...
as president of the country. The armed forces jailed Gutiérrez for six months, but he was discharged, and faced no criminal prosecution despite the fact he was a direct participant in the "coup d'état" that broke the democratic regime of Ecuador.
Presidency
Gutiérrez ran for President in 2002 as the candidate of the January 21 Patriotic Society PartyJanuary 21 Patriotic Society Party
The January 21 Patriotic Society Party is a populist political party in Ecuador.At the legislative elections, 20 October 2002, the party won at least two out of one hundred seats, but some additional seats in alliances with other parties...
(PSP), named for the date of the 2000 protest, and the Pachakutik Movement, on a platform of fighting corruption and reversing neoliberal economic reforms. He defeated banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
magnate and the wealthiest man in Ecuador Álvaro Noboa
Álvaro Noboa
Álvaro Fernando Noboa Pontón is an Ecuadoran businessman and politician.Noboa has been actively involved in politics, unsuccessfully running for the office of President of Ecuador in 1998, 2002, 2006, and 2009...
in the second round with 55% of the popular vote, through a partnership with the leftist and indigenous movement parties, MPD and Pachacutik, respectively.
Gutiérrez alienated many of his supporters by supporting the Free Trade Area of the Americas
Free Trade Area of the Americas
The Free Trade Area of the Americas , , ) was a proposed agreement to eliminate or reduce the trade barriers among all countries in the Americas but Cuba. In the last round of negotiations, trade ministers from 34 countries met in Miami, United States, in November 2003 to discuss the proposal...
(FTAA) and by keeping the status-quo on economic issues. After three months of government, Gutiérrez broke his alliance with leftist parties and reached an agreement with the PSC, continuing the economic policies of its predecessors and increasing bonds with the United States. The government received increased frequent accusations of corruption and nepotism. After two years, Gutiérrez broke the agreement with the PSC, further weakening the government politically.
In November 2004 his former left-wing supporters joined with the conservative Social Christian Party (PSC) in launching an effort to impeach him on various charges. Gutiérrez was accused of embezzlement by the PSC for using funds, resources and public property in favor of PSP candidates in the elections of 2004, and by the Democratic Left (ID), MPD and Pachakutik for jeopardizing the security of the state for literally inciting the people to burn the courts. Impeachment proceedings collapsed when two legislators broke party lines, and a majority (51) votes could not be reached to continue the proceedings.
In December 2004, Gutiérrez alleged that the Supreme Court
Supreme court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of many legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, instance court, judgment court, high court, or apex court...
of Justice was biased in favor of the (Partido Social Cristiano
Partido Social Cristiano
Partido Social Cristiano can refer to:* Social Christian Party * Social Christian Party * Nicaraguan Social Christian Party* Christian Social Party...
/PSC). His political party -PSP-, together with PRIAN of (Álvaro Noboa
Álvaro Noboa
Álvaro Fernando Noboa Pontón is an Ecuadoran businessman and politician.Noboa has been actively involved in politics, unsuccessfully running for the office of President of Ecuador in 1998, 2002, 2006, and 2009...
), PRE of (Abdalá Bucaram
Abdalá Bucaram
Abdalá Jaime Bucaram Ortíz is an Ecuadorian politician and lawyer who briefly occupied the Presidency of Ecuador...
), independents and MPD, voted in the Congress for the reorganization of the Supreme Court of Justice via majority resolution. His adversaries sustained that the Constitution gives autonomy to the judicial branch and does not authorize Congress to interfere in the judiciary by removing or nominating judges. Judges were replaced by allies to PRE, PRIAN and PSP political parties with the clear intention of dropping criminal charges against former president Abdalá Bucaram
Abdalá Bucaram
Abdalá Jaime Bucaram Ortíz is an Ecuadorian politician and lawyer who briefly occupied the Presidency of Ecuador...
, accused of several acts of corruption during his presidency which led to his exile in Panama from 1997 until April 2005.
Crisis
On April 15, 2005, amid a growing political crisis and protests in the city of Quito against the Government, President Gutiérrez declared a state of emergency in QuitoQuito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...
and revoked the newly appointed Supreme Court of Justice. This was a controversial move that provoked conflicting reactions and was seen by analysts as a dictatorial act. The state of emergency was lifted on April 16, as the State of Emergency was disobeyed by citizens and General Aguas of the army, who refused to enforce it, and Ecuador's Congress was expected to hold a session in order to decide whether to ratify the Supreme Court's dismissal.
On April 20, 2005, following a week of massive demonstrations, the Congress of Ecuador (meeting in a special session in a private building, CIESPAL, with opposition delegates only), on the grounds that Gutiérrez had abandoned his constitutional duties, voted 60-2 (38 members, including the great majority of PRE/PRIAN/PSP deputies, did not vote) to remove Gutiérrez from office and appointed Vice President
Vice president
A vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...
Alfredo Palacio
Alfredo Palacio
Luis Alfredo Palacio González served as President of Ecuador from April 2005 to January 2007. From January 15, 2003 to April 20, 2005, he served as vice president, after which he was appointed to the presidency when the Ecuadorian Congress removed President Lucio Gutiérrez from power following a...
to serve as President. At the same time, the Ecuadorian Comando Conjunto de las Fuerzas Armadas, (a military body equivalent to the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Joint Chiefs of Staff is a body of senior uniformed leaders in the United States Department of Defense who advise the Secretary of Defense, the Homeland Security Council, the National Security Council and the President on military matters...
), publicly expressed that they were withdrawing their support for Gutiérrez, who had no option but to leave the Presidential Palace on a helicopter. He sought political asylum
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
in the house of the Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
in the north of Quito
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...
, after his attempt to leave the city aboard a plane at Quito International Airport
Mariscal Sucre International Airport
Mariscal Sucre International Airport is the international airport serving Quito, the capital city of Ecuador. It is named after Venezuelan born Antonio José de Sucre, known as the "Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho" , a hero of Ecuadorian and Latin American independence...
was thwarted by hundreds of angry protesters that breached airport security and blocked the airstrip.
Post-Presidency
Brazil offered Gutiérrez asylum and arranged air transport out of Ecuador for the former president. He arrived in BrasíliaBrasília
Brasília is the capital city of Brazil. The name is commonly spelled Brasilia in English. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country, along a plateau known as Planalto Central. It has a population of about 2,557,000 as of the 2008 IBGE estimate, making it the...
via Rio Branco
Rio Branco
Rio Branco is a Brazilian city, capital of Acre. Located in the Valley of Acre in northern Brazil, it is the most populous county in the state, with 305,954 inhabitants, according to a 2009 estimate - almost half the state population....
on April 24, 2005. He renounced his asylum, then went to Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In September he was reported to be seeking political asylum in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
. This was offered on October 4 only to be refused by Gutierrez on October 13. Then on October 15 he voluntarily returned to Ecuador vowing to "use all legal and constitutional means to retake power." He was arrested at the "Eloy Alfaro
Eloy Alfaro
José Eloy Alfaro Delgado was the President of Ecuador from 1895 to 1901 and from 1906 to 1911. He became one the strongest opponents of pro-Catholic conservative President Gabriel Garcia Moreno...
" Manta Airport in Manta
Manta
Manta is a mid-sized city in Manabí Province, Ecuador. It is the second most populous city in the province, the fifth most populous in the country and, economically, the third most important city of Ecuador. Manta has existed since Pre-Columbian times. It was a trading post for the Mantas....
and taken to a prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
in Quito
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...
. He was locked in a maximum security
Supermax
Supermax is the name used to describe "control-unit" prisons, or units within prisons, which represent the most secure levels of custody in the prison systems of certain countries...
cell on charges of attempting to subvert Ecuador's internal security by repeatedly proclaiming to the international media
News media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
that he continued to be the legitimate President of the Republic of Ecuador.
On March 3, 2006, a judge in Ecuador dismissed the charges against Gutierrez. A very notorious political agreement ensued between Gutierrez and the PSC (Partido Social Cristiano
Partido Social Cristiano
Partido Social Cristiano can refer to:* Social Christian Party * Social Christian Party * Nicaraguan Social Christian Party* Christian Social Party...
). Gutierrez and the deputies of PSP sided with the PSC in order to gain a majority for controlling the country's Constitutional Court. Upon his release, Gutierrez thanked the Ecuadorian people for their support and vowed that he would participate and win the presidential election in October.
On October 15, 2006, his Patriotic Society Party (PSP), led by his brother Gilmar Gutierrez, got the third place in the national election with 17% of the total votes, with the support of the economically disadvantaged, landless farmers and indigenous population.
In the 2009 Presidential Election
Ecuadorian general election, 2009
An early general election was held on 26 April 2009 in Ecuador following the approval of a new constitution in a referendum held on 28 September 2008. President Rafael Correa ran for his first term under the new constitution...
, Lucio Gutierrez ran for president of Ecuador under the flag of PSP. In the presidential election held on April 26, he came in second with 26.8% of the vote, losing to Rafael Correa
Rafael Correa
Rafael Vicente Correa Delgado born is the President of the Republic of Ecuador and was the president pro tempore of the Union of South American Nations. An economist educated in Ecuador, Belgium and the United States, he was elected President in late 2006 and took office in January 2007...
. Lucio declared election fraud even though all the polls conducted well before election day gave a great advantage to Rafael Correa
Rafael Correa
Rafael Vicente Correa Delgado born is the President of the Republic of Ecuador and was the president pro tempore of the Union of South American Nations. An economist educated in Ecuador, Belgium and the United States, he was elected President in late 2006 and took office in January 2007...
, and even when international observers from the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
declared total transparency of the election process.
Post-Election
Almost all supporters of Lucio are in the Amazon region where he was born. This relationship has been used by his political party to gain the support of inhabitants of these isolated areas. Gutierrez has said he will form a parallel cabinet to that of President Rafael CorreaRafael Correa
Rafael Vicente Correa Delgado born is the President of the Republic of Ecuador and was the president pro tempore of the Union of South American Nations. An economist educated in Ecuador, Belgium and the United States, he was elected President in late 2006 and took office in January 2007...
so that if the "people give him the opportunity, he will have an experienced cabinet."