As Gutiérrez loses public support, a former head of state leaves the country with many unanswered questions.

Mario Canseco

Last week, Ecuador permitted former president Gustavo Noboa to seek political asylum in the Dominican Republic. The announcement ended weeks of speculation, and adds a new name to the list of exiled politicians from one of South America's poorest countries.

The 66-year-old Noboa ruled Ecuador from 2000 to 2003, and was subject to an investigation regarding the improper use of $126 million U.S. in bonds, originally earmarked to aid the country's state-administered banks. Noboa claimed to be the victim of political persecution, and set up camp inside the residence of a Dominican diplomat.

The request to dig deep into Noboa's dealings came from former president and rival León Febres Cordero. Current head of state Lucio Gutiérrez finally allowed Noboa to leave the country, withholding the right to extradite the former head of state if convicted.

There are two other former leaders who currently live outside of Ecuador. Abdalá Bucaram—who called himself "the madman" and sang Elvis Presley songs during campaign rallies—was actually declared "mentally incapable" by the National Congress to force his exile. Bucaram now lives in Panama, and has never responded to corruption and mishandling of funds allegations.

Jamil Mahuad was overthrown after 18 months on the job in a January 2000 coup orchestrated by Gutiérrez, army officers and Indian groups. The economic policies of his tenure, which included the adoption of the U.S. dollar as the national currency, were neither popular nor effective. Mahuad now lives in the United States and has been accused—but never charged—of freezing savings deposits.

Gutiérrez spent some time in jail for his role in the Mahuad revolt, as vice-president Noboa took charge. The military man rebounded with a run-off victory in November 2002, as his tough anti-corruption agenda gave him 58.7 per cent of the vote.

The start of his presidency was rocky. Hikes to gasoline and electricity were mere sidebars to a wider scandal concerning nepotism. Gutiérrez named six direct relatives to government posts, including his own brother-in-law Napoleón Villa, who was placed in charge of the Solidarity Fund, which allocates monies to social works all along the country. Public outcry forced Villa to resign in March. An April survey by Informe Confidencial placed Gutiérrez's approval rating at 49 per cent.

In this month's poll by Market, only 20 per cent of respondents have a positive opinion of Gutiérrez. Union members and Indians recently joined for a march through Quito, to protest the government's economic policies. The president originally included Indian groups as part of his political organization, but the alliance faded in early 2003.

After seven months on the job, Gutiérrez has been steadily losing public support, in a country that has seen nine changes at the helm since 1996. With his coalition falling apart, the president must move his remaining pieces in Congress to achieve reforms promised to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) earlier this year.

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