Abdalá Bucaram

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Abdalá Bucaram

| native_name = {{Nobold|{{lang|ar|عبد الله بوكرم}}}}

| image = Abdala Bucaram (cropped).jpg

| caption = Bucaram in 2018

| order = 38th

| office = President of Ecuador

| term_start = 10 August 1996

| term_end = 6 February 1997

| predecessor = Sixto Durán Ballén

| successor = Fabián Alarcón (acting)
Rosalía Arteaga

| vicepresident = Rosalía Arteaga

| office2 = Mayor of Guayaquil

| term_start2 = 10 August 1984

| term_end2 = September 1985

| predecessor2 = Bolívar Cali Bajaña

| successor2 = Jorge Norero González

| birth_name = Abdalá Jaime Bucaram Ortiz

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|2|4|df=y}}

| birth_place = Guayaquil, Ecuador

| party = Independent (2014–2017; since 2021)

| otherparty = {{ubl|Ecuadorian Roldosist Party (1983–2014)|Fuerza Ecuador (2017–2021)}}

| alma_mater = University of Guayaquil

| spouse = {{marriage|María Rosa Pulley Vergara|1977}}

}}

Abdalá Jaime Bucaram Ortiz ({{IPAc-en|audio=En-us-Abdala Bucaram from Ecuador pronunciation (Voice of America).ogg|ɑː|b|d|ə|ˈ|l|ɑː|_|b|ʊ|k|ə|ˈ|r|ɑː|m}} {{respell|ahb|də|LAH|_|buu|kə|RAHM}}; {{Langx|ar|عبد الله خايمي بوكرم أورتيز}}; born 4 February 1952) is an Ecuadorian politician and lawyer who was the 38th president of Ecuador from 1996 until his removal from office in 1997.{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Abdala-Bucaram-Ortiz|title=Abdalá Bucaram|publisher=Encyclopedia Britannica|access-date=10 October 2018|archive-date=17 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190417153820/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Abdala-Bucaram-Ortiz|url-status=live}} As president, Bucaram was nicknamed "El Loco Que Ama" ("The Madman Who Loves", a nickname he championed).{{Cite web |url=http://www.hotmanila.ph/ESP/2000/loco_vs_bobo0300111.htm |title=Loco vs Bobo |date=22 November 2000 |access-date=5 October 2010 |archive-date=18 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130918073136/http://hotmanila.ph/ESP/2000/loco_vs_bobo0300111.htm |url-status=live }}

Of Lebanese descent, Bucaram was born in Guayaquil and grew up playing sports where be became a gym teacher where he studied law in the University of Guayaquil. He later became the mayor of the town and began his political career. In 1988 and 1992, Bucaram unsuccessfully ran for president, having won in his third attempt in 1996. However, shortly after taking office, Bucaram was critized for his bad attitude towards the press. He was also involved in several cases which eroded public support.

Bucaram was subsequently removed from office after being declared mentally unfit to rule by the National Congress on 6 February 1997. Fabián Alarcón, the president of the National Congress, became acting president. However, three days later on 9 February, Bucaram's vice president, Rosalía Arteaga, became president which caused a succession dispute with Alarcón on who should succeed Bucaram and thus, a political crisis. However, two days later on 11 February, Alarcón was reinstated as president with Arteaga retaking her previous role as vice president.{{Cite book |last=Gerlach |first=Allen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IWIeAAAAQBAJ&dq=Abdal%C3%A1+Bucaram&pg=PR13 |title=Indians, Oil, and Politics: A Recent History of Ecuador |date=2003-02-01 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers |isbn=978-1-4616-6554-0 |language=en}}

Bucaram visited multiple countries in Latin America in an attempt to gain support to regain the presidency. However, the moved failed and thus, he lived in exile in Panama under political asylum laws, then returned to Ecuador in 2017 when the charges against him expired. He started the Ecuadorian Roldosist Party, named after his brother in law Jaime Roldos.{{Cite book |last=Conniff |first=Michael L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5IBwkeEfBgUC |title=Populism in Latin America: Second Edition |date=2012-07-31 |publisher=University of Alabama Press |isbn=978-0-8173-5709-2 |language=en}}

Personal life

Born in Guayaquil, Bucaram is the son of Jacobo Bucaram Elmhalin, the son of Lebanese immigrants, and Rina Ortiz Caicedo.{{Cite web|title=FamilySearch: Sign In|url=https://ident.familysearch.org/cis-web/oauth2/v3/authorization?client_secret=ckmwZ%2F5HW80AejL7ZzUl%2Biai7GujOnM%2BQ%2BN7vrhXA8YOkkg3nlFQMsvmw%2BegJT7p1B9iNpbZqalqmnV8njI2%2BEs6VRodAPD5nO5ffdBQzHvRacMY6JoaI8BNiYs7iaGvgS4OJ2kJg43ozuPeWK9Y%2FttgJdpnOym6XWiihg1keKGjV7TlChj35IgVnoiBJFW5d%2FVWHWIBknuxpxY5GOoHm16489QgHIWbKpEERjXxdLXrJoDVhobJhCviaNsZg0fyCmXxTnBdeyctkztOhg39SXzGA84HR79ISS%2BORQUtnzLMsHPNrToQgrEGu%2BiA7kXsJfHJRpsrO9tDyuAIHzHRyw%3D%3D&display=tree&response_type=code&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.familysearch.org%2Fauth%2Ffamilysearch%2Fcallback&state=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.familysearch.org%2Ftree%2Fperson%2Fdetails%2FKZYV-L2Y&client_id=3Z3L-Z4GK-J7ZS-YT3Z-Q4KY-YN66-ZX5K-176R|access-date=12 February 2021|website=ident.familysearch.org|archive-date=26 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220426085356/https://ident.familysearch.org/cis-web/oauth2/v3/authorization?client_secret=ckmwZ%2F5HW80AejL7ZzUl%2Biai7GujOnM%2BQ%2BN7vrhXA8YOkkg3nlFQMsvmw%2BegJT7p1B9iNpbZqalqmnV8njI2%2BEs6VRodAPD5nO5ffdBQzHvRacMY6JoaI8BNiYs7iaGvgS4OJ2kJg43ozuPeWK9Y%2FttgJdpnOym6XWiihg1keKGjV7TlChj35IgVnoiBJFW5d%2FVWHWIBknuxpxY5GOoHm16489QgHIWbKpEERjXxdLXrJoDVhobJhCviaNsZg0fyCmXxTnBdeyctkztOhg39SXzGA84HR79ISS%2BORQUtnzLMsHPNrToQgrEGu%2BiA7kXsJfHJRpsrO9tDyuAIHzHRyw%3D%3D&display=tree&response_type=code&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.familysearch.org%2Fauth%2Ffamilysearch%2Fcallback&state=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.familysearch.org%2Ftree%2Fperson%2Fdetails%2FKZYV-L2Y&client_id=3Z3L-Z4GK-J7ZS-YT3Z-Q4KY-YN66-ZX5K-176R|url-status=live}} Bucaram was the nephew of the politician Assad Bucaram, who was the mayor of Guayaquil. His sister, Martha Bucaram, was married to former President Jaime Roldós Aguilera, both of whom were killed in a mysterious air crash.{{Cite web|title=FamilySearch: Sign In|url=https://ident.familysearch.org/cis-web/oauth2/v3/authorization?client_secret=RsID0tnUH2z%2BpzEuc342unO5wOZLSe251kMPBo0ATnq4cN%2BBNwc2dGk8qQlkCcnUt9lRAdThkTUu1M1I%2FQwQmwYbru1hqzzDkqYoeBE6uymy6b5iX%2FCJQVURJloUqsw9p7TXjwMr6nRonumrn1IZzHQ1Iu%2BBBQniRtxJ%2FVhU%2Bu5pTiNW79mJObzgN93NAixXc1UjAQ7ABn9OJFKeajg8QozywA0yoOlN1Z9PXjqk3UEy0O1mzmGMHMHJF4RbgDLyIYpCCE60g6zkPt6epRcBNxzVQ5wDZeGk113OBwY6CCDgqn9QZDc2dDA424rJlX63xh9I5V80kUetMoukAexEOA%3D%3D&display=tree&response_type=code&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.familysearch.org%2Fauth%2Ffamilysearch%2Fcallback&state=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.familysearch.org%2Ftree%2Fperson%2Fdetails%2FKCMM-DM8&client_id=3Z3L-Z4GK-J7ZS-YT3Z-Q4KY-YN66-ZX5K-176R|access-date=12 February 2021|website=ident.familysearch.org|archive-date=26 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220426085407/https://ident.familysearch.org/cis-web/oauth2/v3/authorization?client_secret=RsID0tnUH2z%2BpzEuc342unO5wOZLSe251kMPBo0ATnq4cN%2BBNwc2dGk8qQlkCcnUt9lRAdThkTUu1M1I%2FQwQmwYbru1hqzzDkqYoeBE6uymy6b5iX%2FCJQVURJloUqsw9p7TXjwMr6nRonumrn1IZzHQ1Iu%2BBBQniRtxJ%2FVhU%2Bu5pTiNW79mJObzgN93NAixXc1UjAQ7ABn9OJFKeajg8QozywA0yoOlN1Z9PXjqk3UEy0O1mzmGMHMHJF4RbgDLyIYpCCE60g6zkPt6epRcBNxzVQ5wDZeGk113OBwY6CCDgqn9QZDc2dDA424rJlX63xh9I5V80kUetMoukAexEOA%3D%3D&display=tree&response_type=code&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.familysearch.org%2Fauth%2Ffamilysearch%2Fcallback&state=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.familysearch.org%2Ftree%2Fperson%2Fdetails%2FKCMM-DM8&client_id=3Z3L-Z4GK-J7ZS-YT3Z-Q4KY-YN66-ZX5K-176R|url-status=live}}

He lived in Kennedy Norte, a neighborhood next to the José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport, prior to fleeing for Panama after the deposition of his government.{{Cite web|url=http://www.explored.com.ec/noticias-ecuador/abdala-bucaram-agradezco-a-mis-tres-presidentes-201675-201675.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612064613/http://www.explored.com.ec/noticias-ecuador/abdala-bucaram-agradezco-a-mis-tres-presidentes-201675-201675.html|url-status=dead|title=Abdalá Bucaram: "Agradezco a mis tres presidentes"|archivedate=12 June 2011}}

Sporting career

Bucaram grew up playing football in the streets of Guayaquil and later went on to become a successful athlete and earn a degree in physical education. He was also a hurdler. He was the flag bearer for Ecuador at the 1972 Summer Olympics but did not compete in the Games due to injury.[https://web.archive.org/web/20200417093350/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/ECU/ Sports Reference] He was the police chief of Guayas and the president of Barcelona Sporting Club, a football team from his hometown.[http://www.cidob.org/es/documentacion/biografias_lideres_politicos/america_del_sur/ecuador/abdala_bucaram_ortiz Abdalá Bucaram Ortiz] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061221054352/http://www.cidob.org/es/documentacion/biografias_lideres_politicos/america_del_sur/ecuador/abdala_bucaram_ortiz |date=21 December 2006 }} (Spanish)

Early political career

While working as a gym teacher, Bucaram earned a law degree and soon began his political career.

He became the mayor of Guayaquil, and the founder and member of the Ecuadorian Roldosist Party (PRE). He then competed unsuccessfully for the presidency of Ecuador in 1988 and 1992.

In the 1996 Ecuadorian general election, Bucaram defeated Social Christian Party (PSC) candidate Jaime Nebot by winning in all but one of the 21 provinces, becoming the first to do so.

Presidency

Bucaram was president from 10 August 1996 to 6 February 1997. His cabinet was put together by Vice President Rosalia Arteaga. Shortly after taking office, the press criticized Bucaram for his behavior which was described as flamboyant and sometimes even rude.{{Cite book |last=Pérez Liñan |first=Aníbal S. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/ocm74987704 |title=Presidential impeachment and the new political instability in Latin America |date=2007 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-86942-3 |series=Cambridge studies in comparative politics |location=New York, NY |pages=25–26 |oclc=ocm74987704}} Within months, Bucaram was accused of embezzling millions of dollars of public funds.{{Cite web |date=9 March 2022 |title=¿Por qué Estados Unidos le prohíbe la entrada a Abdalá Bucaram y su familia?: Estos fueron los casos de corrupción durante el mandato del expresidente que solo duró 6 meses |trans-title=Why did the United States prohibit Abdala Bucaram and his family from entering? These are the corruption cases during the rule of the expresident that only lasted six months |url=https://quenoticias.com/noticias/abdala-bucaram-familia-visa-estados-unidos-casos-de-corrupcion/ |access-date=6 February 2023 |website=Qué Noticias |language=es |archive-date=6 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206203334/https://quenoticias.com/noticias/abdala-bucaram-familia-visa-estados-unidos-casos-de-corrupcion/ |url-status=live }} He was described as a "messianic personality and unconventional that attracted criticism from his critics and the media" by Anadolu Agency, a Turkish state news agency.{{Cite web |title=Quién es Abdalá Bucaram, el expresidente ecuatoriano detenido por delincuencia organizada |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/es/mundo/qui%C3%A9n-es-abdal%C3%A1-bucaram-el-expresidente-ecuatoriano-detenido-por-delincuencia-organizada/1939962 |access-date=6 February 2023 |website=www.aa.com.tr |publisher=Anadolu Agency |archive-date=6 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206203334/https://www.aa.com.tr/es/mundo/qui%C3%A9n-es-abdal%C3%A1-bucaram-el-expresidente-ecuatoriano-detenido-por-delincuencia-organizada/1939962 |url-status=live }}

= Impeachment =

In February 1997, Bucaram was impeached by the National Congress because of concerns about his capacity to act in the office of the presidency. While the initial charge was for mental incapacity, the details of the impeachment specifically cited economic mismanagement, undignified behavior, deliberate oversight of crimes, and betrayal of campaign promises.{{Cite book |last=Palamone |first=Gustavo |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fADmEAAAQBAJ |title=Presidential Impeachment in Latin America: A Matter of Law or Politics? |date=2023-12-29 |publisher=Springer Nature |isbn=978-3-031-44188-2 |pages=265 |language=en}}

Life after impeachment

Bucaram received political asylum in Panama after several corruption charges were laid against him.{{Cite web |date=27 April 2017 |title=¿Quién es Adbalá Bucaram y por qué regresará a Ecuador tras 20 años de exilio? |url=https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2017/04/27/quien-es-adbala-bucaram-y-por-que-regresara-a-ecuador-tras-20-anos-de-exilio/ |access-date=6 February 2023 |website=CNN |language=es |archive-date=6 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206203443/https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2017/04/27/quien-es-adbala-bucaram-y-por-que-regresara-a-ecuador-tras-20-anos-de-exilio/ |url-status=live }} He returned on Saturday, 2 April 2005, after the corruption charges were lifted the previous day. He stayed in Guayaquil for about two and a half weeks. The corruption charges against him were reinstated after Lucio Gutiérrez was forced to leave to avoid the charges.

On 1 December 2014, Bucaram's son Abdalá "Dalo" Bucarám Jr. renounced his seat in the Ecuadorian National Assembly.{{Cite web|url=https://www.elcomercio.com/actualidad/dalo-bucaram-renuncio-asamblea-ecuador.html|title=Dalo Bucaram renunció a la Asamblea|last=Zamora|first=Paúl|date=1 December 2014|website=El Comercio|access-date=27 February 2020|archive-date=27 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200227082450/https://www.elcomercio.com/actualidad/dalo-bucaram-renuncio-asamblea-ecuador.html|url-status=live}}

On 3 June 2020, Attorney General Diana Salazar Méndez announced that a stock of 5,000 masks and 2,000 COVID-19 tests had been found at Bucaram's residence preventing their use in combatting a large outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite news |title=En casa de expresidente Abdalá Bucaram se encontraron 5.000 mascarillas y otros insumos |url=https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/judicial/12/casa-abdala-bucaram-mascarillas-insumos-medicos |access-date=11 March 2022 |work=El Telégrafo |date=3 June 2020 |language=Spanish |archive-date=29 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200629121228/https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/judicial/12/casa-abdala-bucaram-mascarillas-insumos-medicos |url-status=live }}{{cite magazine |last1=Alarcón |first1=Daniel |title=A Pandemic Tragedy in Guayaquil |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/03/14/a-pandemic-tragedy-in-guayaquil |access-date=11 March 2022 |magazine=The New Yorker |date=7 March 2022 |archive-date=11 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220311083448/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/03/14/a-pandemic-tragedy-in-guayaquil |url-status=live }}

He was accused of several crimes including stealing from the Central Bank and Customs and mismanaging the COVID-19 pandemic and barred from entering the United States. After he took office, Bucaram tried to reorganize the state which led to a culture of bribery and favoritism.{{Cite web |last=Admin |first=Codigo Vidrio |date=23 August 2020 |title=Los bailes y piruetas de Bucaram con el poder |url=https://www.codigovidrio.com/code/los-bailes-y-piruetas-de-bucaram-con-el-poder/ |access-date=6 February 2023 |website=Código Vidrio |language=es |archive-date=6 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206203344/https://www.codigovidrio.com/code/los-bailes-y-piruetas-de-bucaram-con-el-poder/ |url-status=live }}

In August 2020, Bucaram was arrested and released at his home in Guayaquil as part of an organized crime investigation.{{Cite web |title=Ex-Ecuadorian President Detained in New Criminal Probe |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/americas_ex-ecuadorian-president-detained-new-criminal-probe/6194349.html |access-date=6 February 2023 |website=VOA |date=13 August 2020 |language=en |archive-date=6 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206220422/https://www.voanews.com/a/americas_ex-ecuadorian-president-detained-new-criminal-probe/6194349.html |url-status=live }} The investigation centered on the murder of an Israeli citizen, Tomer Sheinman (also known as Shy Dahan), a few days earlier in the Guayaquil jail.{{cite web |url=https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2020/08/12/expresidente-de-ecuador-abdala-bucaram-es-detenido-para-investigaciones/ |title=Expresidente de Ecuador Abdalá Bucaram es detenido para investigaciones |website=CNN |language=Spanish |date=12 August 2020 |access-date=12 August 2020 |archive-date=13 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200813042232/https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2020/08/12/expresidente-de-ecuador-abdala-bucaram-es-detenido-para-investigaciones/ |url-status=live }} Bucaram was implicated because an audio conversation between Bucaram and the murdered Sheinman (Dahan) was found.{{cite web |url=https://thecuencadispatch.com/in-the-middle-of-a-fraud-and-now-murder-scandal-abdala-bucaram-announces-his-candidacy-for-president/ |title=In the middle of a fraud and now murder scandal, Abdalá Bucaram announces his candidacy for President |website=The Cuenca Dispatch |date=10 August 2020 |access-date=12 August 2020 |archive-date=26 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926103651/https://thecuencadispatch.com/in-the-middle-of-a-fraud-and-now-murder-scandal-abdala-bucaram-announces-his-candidacy-for-president/ |url-status=live }} Sheinman (Dahan) was involved in trading medical supplies with Bucaram's son, Jacobo.{{cite web |url=https://www.larepublica.ec/blog/politica/2020/08/11/israeli-asesinado-dijo-que-conocia-a-sonnenholzner-y-dos-ministros-mas/ |title=Israelí asesinado dijo que conocía a Sonnenholzner y dos ministros más |website=La República |language=Spanish |date=11 August 2020 |access-date=12 August 2020 |archive-date=21 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200821063758/https://www.larepublica.ec/blog/politica/2020/08/11/israeli-asesinado-dijo-que-conocia-a-sonnenholzner-y-dos-ministros-mas/ |url-status=live }}

On 9 March 2022, the United States announced that, "due to his involvement in significant corruption, including misappropriation of public funds, accepting bribes, and interfering with public processes," Bucaram would be barred from entering the country.{{Cite web|url=https://www.state.gov/designation-of-former-ecuadorian-president-bucaram-for-involvement-in-significant-corruption/|title=Designation of Former Ecuadorian President Bucaram for Involvement in Significant Corruption|access-date=9 March 2022|archive-date=9 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220309174321/https://www.state.gov/designation-of-former-ecuadorian-president-bucaram-for-involvement-in-significant-corruption/|url-status=live}}

As of December 2023, Bucaram has started to stream his political speeches in the video game Grand Theft Auto V on role-play servers, which he streams live on Twitch.tv.{{cite web | title=El expresidente Abdalá Bucaram hace su entrada a Twitch | website=www.expreso.ec | date=4 December 2023 | url=https://www.expreso.ec/ocio/expresidente-abdala-bucaram-entrada-twitch-181560.html | language=es | access-date=19 February 2024 | archive-date=24 December 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231224003651/https://www.expreso.ec/ocio/expresidente-abdala-bucaram-entrada-twitch-181560.html | url-status=live }}

References

External links

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZSgv-0qhUg Abdalá Bucaram – YouTube]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_d1luV4pOCw Caida de Abdala Bucaram 5 de Febrero de 1997]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QNgTx5Y5wY AUGE Y CAÍDA DE BUCARAM, EN RESUMEN]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC957u0h3po CORRUPCIÓN EN ECUADOR: ¡PROHIBIDO OLVIDAR!]
[http://www.cidob.org/es/documentacion/biografias_lideres_politicos/america_del_sur/ecuador/abdala_bucaram_ortiz Extended biography (in Spanish) by CIDOB Foundation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061221054352/http://www.cidob.org/es/documentacion/biografias_lideres_politicos/america_del_sur/ecuador/abdala_bucaram_ortiz |date=21 December 2006 }}
[http://www.presidencia.gov.ec/modulos.asp?id=28/ Official Website of the Ecuadorian Government about the country President's History]{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20090204155044/http://dalo10.com/ Dalo y Gaby Asambleistas, PRE la nueva Era]
[https://www.cidob.org/biografias_lideres_politicos/america_del_sur/ecuador/abdala_bucaram_ortiz Biography by CIDOB] (in Spanish)