Alfredo Palacio

Topics: Presidents of Ecuador

Luis Alfredo Palacio Gonzalez 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 Gutierrez 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, and 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 Gutierrez's running mate in the 2002 election. It was a common sight during the campaign to see Gutierrez, dressed in his army fatigues, accompanied by Palacios, wearing surgical scrubs. Palacio had previously served as the minister for health during the administration of Sixto Duran Ballen. Many of the ministers he chose were from the Party of the Democratic Left.