LEÓN FEBRES-CORDERO RIBADENEYRA: BIOGRAPHY, PRESIDENCY AND WORKS - ARTE - 2024

León Febres-Cordero Ribadeneyra (1931-2008) was an Ecuadorian engineer and businessman, the thirty-fifth president of Ecuador, who gained worldwide fame for his way of doing politics and the controversial decisions made throughout his mandate.

During his four-year presidential term, Febres-Cordero had to deal with strong opposition from the Ecuadorian Congress, accusations of corruption, urban guerrillas, surviving a military uprising and even a kidnapping.

SSGT GUSTAVO A. GARCIA

He was always accompanied by an image of a strong man, strengthened by his affinity for cigarettes, weapons and horses, in which he usually arrived mounted to make a triumphal entry during his political campaigns.

His public life did not end after the culmination of his presidential mandate, as he remained active in positions of relevance almost until the end of his days.

Biography

Early years

León Esteban Febres-Cordero Ribadeneyra was born on March 9, 1931 in Guayaquil, Ecuador, into a family with a comfortable economic position. His parents were Agustín Febres Cordero Tyler and María Ribadeneyra Aguirre.

His first studies were carried out at the Cristobal Colón Salesian College in Guayaquil, being later sent to continue his training in the United States; initially at Charlotte Hall Military Academy in Maryland and later at Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania.

His higher studies were carried out at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey, where he graduated as a chemical engineer in 1953.

On his return to Ecuador, Febres-Cordero worked in various positions: as an engineer in a brewery, manager of the Guayaquil Electric Company, the Industrial Molinera, the Ecuadorian Cartonería, the National Stationery and the Interamerican Fabric.

The experience gained during his career development gave him sufficient confidence to establish his own company Compañía Santos y Febres Cordero in which he offered electrical services.

In 1960 he was professor of engineering at the University of Guayaquil and began to have more relevant commitments when he was elected President of the Association of Latin American Industrialists, as well as in the following decade when he took office as President of the Chamber of Industrialists of Ecuador.

Political life

His intense business career prompted his approach to politics. In 1966, at the age of 35, he was elected a Functional Deputy to the Constituent Assembly, as a representative of the Coastal Industry for the drafting of the new Ecuadorian Magna Carta.

Between 1968 and 1970 he served as Functional Senator of Congress in charge of the Second Committee on the Economy and Finance.

During the dictatorship of Guillermo Rodríguez Lara, Febres-Cordero, who at that time worked for the Noboa banana company, is arrested for refusing to write checks to the government. For this incident, he remained in prison for 93 days.

In 1978 he joined the Social Christian Party and, at the hands of this political organization, he was elected Deputy of Congress for the period 1979-1983. At that time he questioned several ministers involved in alleged corruption cases.

Already with sufficient public recognition to his credit, Febres-Cordero launched himself into the presidential race with the slogan "Bread, shelter and employment", finally being elected for the 1984-1988 period.

Presidency

His government was characterized from its inception by its broad economic reforms, with more than twenty decrees that were frequently rejected by a mostly opposition Ecuadorian Congress.

He established a policy of free market economy that produced admiration and good relations with the President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, with whom he signed agreements that even allowed more than 5,000 reservists from the United States Army to enter Ecuador.

This procedure was harshly criticized by the opposition, which classified the fact as a violation of national sovereignty.

Rebellion and kidnapping

In 1986, Frank Vargas Pazzos, General Commander of the Armed Forces, accused the Minister of Defense, Luis Piñeiro, of being involved in the illicit purchase of a Fokker aircraft for a surcharge that exceeded five million dollars. However, the Congressional commission that studied the case established that there was no irregularity.

This issue eventually became a real headache for Febres-Cordero, since the Commander who made the complaint took up arms on two occasions. And although the rebellions were put down and Vargas Pazzos arrested, it did not mean the end of that story.

In January 1987, members of the Air Force, allied with Vargas Pazzos, kidnapped the president and his entourage for almost twelve hours during a ceremony held at the Taura Air Base.

The objective of the rebels was to force Febres-Cordero to sign an amnesty resolution for the rebel leader. This document had already been issued by Congress, but the president had refused to make it official until then.

After signing the document, Vargas Pazzos was released while Febres-Cordero was required not to retaliate against the kidnappers. However, five months after the event, about sixty people involved in the kidnapping were imprisoned.

The kidnapping issue was taken advantage of by the president of Congress, Andrés Vallejo, to request the resignation of Febres-Cordero as the nation's first president, claiming that the wrong presidential decisions were what led him to that situation. This request finally did not transcend.

Actions against the urban guerrilla

In 1984 the incursion of the urban guerrilla began "Alfaro Vive ¡Carajo!" that for that year he had carried out the kidnapping of the banker Nahím Isaías. Febres-Cordero participated closely in the resolution of this serious incident that ended with the death of the perpetrators and the kidnapped person.

In 1987, almost at the end of his government, he began an intense security operation to definitively stop the advance of the guerrilla group. This action turned into a war against terrorism that ended the lives of the main leaders of the organization and that of several police and military.

At the end of his government

The Febres-Cordero presidential term was weakened by the economic crisis, aggravated by the drastic drop in oil prices and the earthquake in the East that caused thousands of victims and a disproportionate increase in public spending. For that stage, the government had to request help from the International Monetary Fund.

President Febres-Cordero himself and several of his henchmen were accused of corruption and at the end of the administration many of his ministers resigned; even the one who had been his party partner and held the position of vice president, Blasco Peñaherrera Padilla, began to disassociate himself.

Despite all these difficulties, Febres-Cordero made it a personal goal to complete all the projects started by his government.

Works during his presidency

Although the Febres-Cordero government was never accompanied by a stable economy, it did carry out important works and executed relevant social plans for the benefit of Ecuadorians:

- Carried out the construction of hospitals.

- Promoted the National Food Plan.

- Created the National Cultural Fund.

- Boosted the increase in exports.

- Executed the program for the delivery of free pediatric medicines.

- Promoted the National Housing Plan.

- The construction of the Perimetral Highway of Guayaquil began.

- Carried out the construction of stadiums of great contribution to the sports sector, as well as new communication channels.

After the presidency

After completing his presidential term, Febres-Cordero was elected as mayor of Guayaquil for two terms established between 1992 and 2000. A management that his followers described as successful.

In 2002, Febres-Cordero was elected a Deputy of the Ecuadorian Congress representing Guayaquil. Despite frequent absences on his part due to health problems, he was reelected in 2006, but the following year he finally had to retire as his physical condition worsened. This resignation marked the end of his political career.

Truth Commission

Supporters and detractors of Febres-Cordero agree that his presidential government was characterized by a heavy-handed policy against adversity. However, many consider that this tough way of acting was responsible for multiple human rights violations.

The reports against him mention at least 500 complaints of torture, sexual violence and forced disappearances. Among them is the emblematic case of the Restrepo brothers, aged 12 and 16, who were arrested by the police and who to this day are neither alive nor dead.

In May 2008, the then president of Ecuador Rafael Correa (2007-2017) established a Truth Commission to investigate irregularities in previous governments, particularly those that occurred during the Febres-Cordero presidential term.

He defended his decisions, describing Correa as capricious and affirming that with his actions at the head of the presidency he freed the country from internal chaos and the polluting insurgency of guerrilla groups from Colombia and Peru.

Personal life

Febres-Cordero married María Eugenia Cordovez in 1954, with whom he had four daughters: María Eugenia, María Fernanda, María Liliana and María Auxiliadora. After 34 years of marriage, the couple divorced in 1988. The former Ecuadorian president later remarried Cruz María Massu, with whom he had no children.

Death

Febres-Cordero, who had been diagnosed with lung cancer, died in Guayaquil on December 15, 2008 at the age of 77. For three days, the Ecuadorian people paid him presidential honors at the Metropolitan Cathedral in his hometown.

Despite the negative aspects that accompanied his presidency, the presence and imprint that León Febres-Cordero left in Ecuadorian life is undoubted.

References

1. The editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. (2019). León Febres Cordero, President of Ecuador. Taken from britannica.com
2. Simon Romero. (2008). Febres Cordero, giant of Ecuador politics, is dead. Taken from nytimes.com
3. Maggy Ayala Samaniego. (2008). León Febres Cordero, former president of Ecuador. Taken from elmundo.es
4. El Universo Journal Documentation Center. (2009). León Febres Cordero: Historical legacy and most important works. Taken from eluniverso.com
5. Solano Gonzalo. (2008). Former Ecuadorean President Febres Cordero dies. Taken from deseretnews.com