Lucio Gutiérrez

Lucio Edwin Gutiérrez Borbúa (born March 23, 1957) is an Ecuadorian soldier and politician; he became President of Ecuador on January 15,2003

Gutiérrez was the leader of a military coup that overthrew President Jamil Mahuad Witt in 2000; he was jailed after the coup and then released. In 2002 he ran for President and defeated Alvaro Noboa in the second round with the 55% of the democratic votes.

Lucio Gutiérrez is a populist figure in the same vein as Hugo Chavez in Venezuela and Juan Peron in Argentina.