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León Febres Cordero

León Febres-Cordero
León Febres Cordero.jpg
35th President of Ecuador
In office
August 10, 1984 – August 10, 1988
Vice President Blasco Peñaherrera Padilla (1984-1988)
Preceded by Osvaldo Hurtado Larrea
Succeeded by Rodrigo Borja
Mayor of Guayaquil
In office
August 10, 1992 – August 10, 2000
Deputy Luis Chiriboga
Preceded by Harry Soria Lamán
Succeeded by Jaime Nebot
Personal details
Born León Esteban Febres Cordero Ribadeneyra
(1931-03-09)March 9, 1931
Guayaquil, Guayas Province, Ecuador
Died December 15, 2008(2008-12-15) (aged 77)
Guayaquil
Resting place Parques de la Paz, La Aurora, Guayas.
Political party Social Christian Party
Spouse(s) María Eugenia Cordovez Pontón (1954–1988)
Cruz María Massuh (1988–2008)
Signature

León Esteban Febres-Cordero Ribadeneyra (March 9, 1931 – December 15, 2008), known in the Ecuadorian media as LFC or by his surname (Febres-Cordero), is 35th President of Ecuador for a four-year term from August 10, 1984 to August 10, 1988. During his Presidency he sought to introduce market-oriented reforms, and also led a security crackdown on a guerrilla group, ¡Alfaro Vive, Carajo!.

Febres-Cordero was born to a well-to-do Guayaquil family on March 9, 1931. His father sent him to study in the United States, where he first attended Charlotte Hall Military Academy in Maryland, then Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania for high school, and then graduated as an engineer from the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey (which he visited after being elected in 1984).

Upon his return to Guayaquil, Febres-Cordero entered business, dealing variously in paper, electrical parts, chemicals and textiles. Eventually he became an executive in the Noboa Group, a large agribusiness.

The Febres Cordero government promoted a conservative economic policy. While some praised Febres Cordero's economic policies, they became largely unpopular with most Ecuadorians. Several of his ministers were accused of corruption. His Finance Minister (and future Vice President), Alberto Dahik, was impeached by Congress.

Febres Cordero, a close ally of US President Ronald Reagan, was sharply criticized for an increase in human rights violations, including torture and extrajudicial killings. Current President Rafael Correa established a truth commission to investigate human rights violations, particularly those that occurred during Febres Cordero's administration.

In 1987 Febres Cordero was kidnapped for 11 hours by members of the air force demanding the freedom of General Frank Vargas Pazzos, who had been imprisoned after leading two uprisings in March 1986, aimed at toppling the Minister of Defense. Congress approved a resolution granting Vargas amnesty, but Febres Cordero refused to publish the resolution, thus denying it the force of law. It was only after his January 1987 kidnapping that he signed the amnesty and released Vargas.


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