| Alfredo Palacio | |
|---|---|
| President of Ecuador | |
| In office April 20, 2005 – January 15, 2007 |
|
| Vice President | Alejandro Serrano |
| Preceded by | Lucio Gutiérrez |
| Succeeded by | Rafael Correa |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 22, 1939 Guayaquil, Ecuador |
| Political party | No party affiliation |
| Spouse(s) | María Beatriz Paret |
| Alma mater | Case Western Reserve University |
Luis Alfredo Palacio González (born January 22, 1939) 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 week of growing unrest with his government.
Born in Guayaquil, Palacio is a physician by profession, specializing in cardiology. He studied in his home town and, later, at Cleveland, Ohio, doing residency at Case Western Reserve University, followed by a two-year cardiology fellowship at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, in the United States. He later lectured in cardiology and public health at Guayaquil University's faculty of medicine.
Palacio was chosen as Lucio Gutiérrez's running mate in the 2002 election. It was a common sight during the campaign to see Gutiérrez, dressed in his army fatigues, accompanied by Palacio, wearing surgical scrubs. Palacio had previously served as the minister for health during the administration of Sixto Durán Ballén. Many of the ministers he chose were from the Democratic Left (Ecuador).
One of Palacio's first proposals made as president was to hold a Constitutional Assembly to amend Ecuador's 1998 Constitution. For a period of several months prior to assuming office, he had been a critic of the Gutiérrez regime, saying that the country was "falling apart" and in need of "intensive care".
Rafael Correa was elected president in November 2006 and replaced Palacio as president on January 15, 2007.
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Palacio was one of the candidates for the position of director-general of the World Health Organization, to be decided in a vote on November 9, 2006. However, on October 18, 2006, he announced he would not be pursuing the position, preferring to concentrate on his presidency until the very last day of his mandate. [1]
Palacio is the president of the Advisory Board at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy as also a regular speaker and a member of faculty at ICD Academy. [2]
| Preceded by Lucio Gutiérrez |
President of Ecuador 2005–2007 |
Succeeded by Rafael Correa |
| Preceded by Pedro Pinto Rubianes |
Vice President of Ecuador 2003–2005 |
Succeeded by Alejandro Serrano |