Alfredo Palacio facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alfredo Palacio
OSP
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Palacio in 2015
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| 44th President of Ecuador | |
| In office 20 April 2005 – 15 January 2007 |
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| Vice President | Alejandro Serrano |
| Preceded by | Lucio Gutiérrez |
| Succeeded by | Rafael Correa |
| 44th Vice President of Ecuador | |
| In office 15 January 2003 – 20 April 2005 |
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| President | Lucio Gutiérrez |
| Preceded by | Pedro Pinto Rubianes |
| Succeeded by | Alejandro Serrano |
| Minister of Health | |
| In office 11 November 1994 – 10 August 1996 |
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| President | Sixto Durán Ballén |
| Preceded by | Patricio Abad |
| Succeeded by | Marcelo Cruz |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Luis Alfredo Palacio González
22 January 1939 Guayaquil, Ecuador |
| Died | 22 May 2025 (aged 86) Guayaquil, Ecuador |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse | María Beatriz Paret |
| Parent |
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| Alma mater | Case Western Reserve University |
| Medical career | |
| Profession | Physician |
| Field | Cardiology |
| Institutions | University of Guayaquil |
| Awards | Order of the Sun of Peru (Grand Cross) |
Luis Alfredo Palacio González (22 January 1939 – 22 May 2025) was an Ecuadorian cardiologist and politician who was the 44th president of Ecuador from 2005 to 2007. He had been the 44th vice-president under President Lucio Gutiérrez, until he was appointed to the presidency when the Ecuadorian Congress removed Gutiérrez from power following a week of growing unrest with his government.
Early life
Born in Guayaquil, Palacio was 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. He later lectured in cardiology and public health at the University of Guayaquil's faculty of medicine. He worked in the United States from 1969 to 1972.
He was the son of sculptor Alfredo Palacio Moreno and the grandson of writer Pablo Palacio, one of Ecuador's most famous authors. His mother was Ana María González.
Political career
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 previously was the minister for health during the administration of Sixto Durán Ballén (1994-1996). Many of the ministers he chose were from Ecuador's left.
Presidency
Palacia assumed the presidency when Gutiérrez was removed from office. 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 15 January 2007.
Palacio began his presidency with an approval rating of 53%. Palacio left office with a 29% approval rating, according to a CEDATOS survey.
During his final weeks as president, Palacio was one of the candidates for the position of director-general of the World Health Organization. However before the election was held, he announced he would not be pursuing the position, preferring to concentrate on his presidency until the last day of his mandate.
After his brief stint in power, he returned to his hometown of Guayaquil, where he was no longer involved in politics and resumed his profession as a cardiologist.
Personal life
His wife was María Beatriz Paret, with whom he had four children.
Palacio died on 22 May 2025 in Guayaquil at the age of 86. The Government of Ecuador declares a two-day national mourning period.
See also
In Spanish: Alfredo Palacio para niños
- List of Case Western people
- Cesar Palacio, his cousin and a Toronto City Councillor
- Emilio Palacio, his brother and a persecuted journalist
