Abdala Bucaram (20 February 1952-) was President of Ecuador from 10 August 1996 to 6 February 1997, succeeding Sixto Duran Ballen and preceding Rosalia Arteaga.
Biography[]
Abdala Bucaram was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador in 1952, the nephew of Assad Bucaram and the brother-in-law of Jaime Roldos Aguilera. He was a professional athlete before becoming police chief of Guayas and president of the Barcelona Sporting Club, and he served as Mayor of Guayaquil from 1984 to 1985 before founding the Ecuadorian Roldosist Party. He was elected President in 1996, but he became infamous for his rude behavior, embezzling millions of dollars of public funds, deliberately overlooking crimes, and betraying campaign promises. He was impeached by the National Congress in February 1997, and he went into exile in Panama until 2015. During COVID-19, he hoarded 5,000 masks and 2,000 COVID tests at his home, and he was barred from entering the United States in 2022 due to his involvement in corruption and organized crime.