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Alfredo Palacio
44th President of Ecuador
In office April 20, 2005 – January 15, 2007
Vice President	Alejandro Serrano Aguilar (2005-2007)
Preceded by	Lucio Gutiérrez
Succeeded by	Rafael Correa
Vice President of Ecuador
In office January 15, 2003 – April 20, 2005
President	Lucio Gutiérrez
Preceded by	Pedro Pinto Rubianes
Succeeded by	Alejandro Serrano
Minister of Health
In office November 11, 1994 – August 10, 1996
President	Sixto Durán-Ballén
Preceded by	Patricio Abad
Succeeded by	Marcelo Cruz
Personal details
Born	Luis Alfredo Palacio González (1939-01-22) January 22, 1939 (age 80) Guayaquil, Ecuador
Nationality	Ecuadorian
Political party	Independent
Spouse(s)	María Beatriz Paret
Father	Alfredo Palacio Moreno
Alma mater	Case Western Reserve University
Website	www.dralfredopalacio.org
Medical career
Profession	Physician
Field	Cardiologist
Institutions	University of Guayaquil
Awards	Order of the Sun of Peru (Grand Cross)

Luis Alfredo Palacio González (born January 22, 1939) is an Ecuadorian cardiologist and former politician who served as President of Ecuador from April 20, 2005 to January 15, 2007. From January 15, 2003 to April 20, 2005, he served as vice president^[1], 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.

Biography

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 the University of Guayaquil'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.

World Health Organization

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]

See also

• List of Case Western people


• 
  Cesar Palacio, his cousin and a Toronto City Councillor
  


• 
  Emilio Palacio, his brother and a persecuted journalist

References

External links

• 
  Presidencia de la República – Presidente Biography as president


• 
  BBC Mundo | América Latina | ¿Quién es Alfredo Palacio? (BBC News)


• 
  Ecuador's Balancing Act: Palacio, the People and the IMF The Council on Hemispheric Affairs


• http://www.explored.com.ec/noticias-ecuador/dahik-posesiona-a-palacio-26852.html


• 
  Biography by CIDOB (in Spanish)