Assad Bucaram Elmhalin (24 December 1916 – 5 November 1981) was an

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...

ian politician of Lebanese descent, he occupied positions as city Councilor and later of Mayor of

Guayaquil , motto = Por Guayaquil Independiente en, For Independent Guayaquil , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Ecuador#South America , pushpin_re ...

(1962–1963, 1967–1970). He was elected a Deputy for the province of Guayaquil and was later appointed President of the National Assembly of Ecuador.

Political career

The son of Lebanese immigrants Abdalá Bucaram Abi Karam and Martha Elmhalin, Bucaram had little formal education but had a highly successful business career as a result of which he became very wealthy.Phil Gunson, Andrew Thompson & Greg Chamberlain, ''The Dictionary of Contemporary Politics of South America'', London: Routledge, 1990, p. 49 In 1961 he took over the ailing

Concentración de Fuerzas Populares The Concentration of People's Forces ( es, Concentración de Fuerzas Populares, CFP) was a populist political party in Ecuador. It was founded in 1949 and played a major role in Ecuadorian politics of the 1960s and 1970s, with its stronghold bei ...

party (CFP), a party that up to that point had presented an anti-oligarchic but anti-communist ideology in a similar vein to

Peronism Peronism, also called justicialism,. The Justicialist Party is the main Peronist party in Argentina, it derives its name from the concept of social justice., name=, group= is an Argentine political movement based on the ideas and legacy of Ar ...

, and turned it into a personal vehicle for his populist appeals. He threw his weight behind the Democratic Left Front for the 1968 elections, although this put him at odds with the

José María Velasco Ibarra José María Velasco Ibarra (19 March 1893 – 30 March 1979) was an Ecuadorian politician. He became president of Ecuador five times, in 1934–1935, 1944–1947, 1952–1956, 1960–1961, and 1968–1972, and only in 1952–1956 he complete ...

regime and from 1970 to 1972 he was exiled to

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...

. He was equally at odds with the military regime that followed and was both exiled and briefly imprisoned for his outspoken opposition to the government. Bucaram had intended to run for the presidency in the election of 1978-9 but was banned by the military government, ostensibly for his parents' nationality. The candidacy instead went to his niece's husband and

Jaime Roldós Aguilera Jaime Roldós Aguilera (5 November 1940 – 24 May 1981) was 33rd President of Ecuador from 10 August 1979 until his death on 24 May 1981. In his short tenure, he became known for his firm stance on human rights. Early life and career Roldós ...

and, with Bucaram's active support, the CFP carried the election after more than 18 years of ''

de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...

'' regimes. As a deputy and leader of the Congress however Bucaram became estranged from Roldós as he did not support the President's moves towards

social democracy Social democracy is a Political philosophy, political, Social philosophy, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocati ...

. He died in 1981.

Personal life

He married Olfa Perpetua Záccida in 1948 when she was sixteen years old and fathered eight children with her: Omar (deceased), Olfa, Avicena,

Averroes Ibn Rushd ( ar, ; full name in ; 14 April 112611 December 1198), often Latinized as Averroes ( ), was an Andalusian polymath and jurist who wrote about many subjects, including philosophy, theology, medicine, astronomy, physics, psycholog ...

(deceased), Jorge, Cecilia, Juan and Teresa. Averroes Bucaram followed his father as both a CFP deputy and President of the National Congress. He was an uncle of

Abdalá Bucaram Abdalá Jaime Bucaram Ortiz ( ; ; born 20 February 1952) is an Ecuadorian politician and lawyer who was President of Ecuador from 10 August 1996, to 6 February 1997. As President, Abdalá Bucaram was nicknamed "El Loco Que Ama" ("The Madman Wh ...

who would become President of Ecuador after Assad's death. Abdalá's sister

Martha Bucaram Martha Bucaram Ortiz (12 October 1941, Guayaquil – 24 May 1981, Celica) was an Ecuadorian lawyer and feminist who was First Lady of Ecuador to President Jaime Roldós Aguilera, with whom she was killed in a plane crash. Biography Martha ...

was the wife of President Roldós.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bucaram, Assad 1916 births 1981 deaths Mayors of Guayaquil Members of the National Congress (Ecuador) Presidents of the National Congress (Ecuador) Concentration of People's Forces politicians Ecuadorian people of Lebanese descent