Quito (Equador), 1957

By Equipe Latinoamericana

Son of a farmer and a nurse, Lucio Gutiérrez was born in Quito but was raised in the city of Tena, in the province of Napo, where he completed his basic education before attending the Eloy Alfaro Military College in Quito. A brilliant student, he graduated in 1977. At the age of 21, he was a second lieutenant in the Cavalry and soon reached the rank of general.

He was part of the Military Junta that replaced the elected president Jamil Mahuad in 2000. The overthrow of the constitutional president was triggered by massive popular mobilizations, and in his role as a military commander, Gutiérrez refused to follow Mahuad’s orders to repress the protests. Thus, when Vice President Gustavo Noboa assumed power, Gutiérrez was arrested and imprisoned for six months.

In a trajectory similar to that of Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, he ran for president in 2002 with the support of mass movements such as Conaie and Pachakutik, among others. However, even before the second round, Gutiérrez showed signs of radical shifts in his positions. In fact, right after being elected and before taking office, he traveled to the United States and signed a free trade agreement with George W. Bush’s government. Disillusioned, the social movements broke ties with him and moved to the opposition.

When Gutiérrez decided to dissolve the Supreme Court, claiming that it had taken partisan actions, he triggered a large wave of protests demanding his resignation. He was forced to sign his resignation in April 2005 and went into exile in Brazil with his wife and daughter. Both, however, soon returned to Quito. He later returned to Ecuador, where he was imprisoned until March 2006.

That month, the Superior Court of Quito dropped the charges and ordered his immediate release. Shortly after, Lucio Gutiérrez announced his return to political life but was barred from running in the 2006 presidential elections due to a two-year loss of eligibility. He ran in the 2009 and 2013 presidential elections, losing both times to Rafael Correa.