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On 20 April, 2005 the Parliament of Ecuador - the National Congress, dismissed the President Lucio Gutiérrez, accusing him of violating the constitution. The reasons of the protests were the violations in superior court. In December 2004 Gutiérrez’s supporters in parliament replaced the majority of members in the superior court. As a result of the Supreme Court, which was considered a stronghold of the opposition, was absolutely loyal to Lucio Gutiérrez. Opponents of the head of state immediately accused him of trying to establish a dictatorship. Meanwhile, under the patronage of the President, the superior court exonerated from blame all the former presidents of Ecuador: Abdalá Bucaram (1996-1997) and Gustavo Noboa (2000-2003), who were accused of corruption. Later, he even allowed both presidents to comeback home from exile. This has led to mass protests. People expressed their indignation with these protest. They were displeased, that those who are to blame for their misery will not be punished.
On 15 April 15, 2005 President Lucio Gutiérrez introduced the state of emergency in the capital, Quito, while the political crisis was deteriorating, and announced the dissolution of the superior court. Doing this he wanted to shift the blame onto the court for his unpopular decision.
The opposition accused Gutiérrez of usurping power, and mass street protests began in Quito. On April 16 the state of emergency was cancelled.
On April 19, the police chief General Jorge Poveda resigned, and later the whole army announced its retirement. On April 20 the National Congress (the session was attended only by the oppositionists) disnissed Lucio Gutiérrez. An hour later Alfredo Palacio González was appointed to the post of president. Earlier he served as a vice-president of Ecuador.
Before the oath he appeared on the balcony of the building the Congress and shouted, "The dictatorship is over! Today, we have created a new government! I am not a politician and have never been! But I am a doctor, so I'm with you!"
Speaking to the members of parliament after the inauguration ceremony, González said, that having removed Lucio Gutiérrez, "the people of Ecuador put the end to the dictatorship, immorality and terrorism" in the state. He said that “the decision of the Congress to dismiss President Lucio Gutiérrez ended the dictatorship, fear and horror, in which the Ecuadorian people have lived recently” and this decision inspires hope in “the restoration of peace and order in the country."
Alfredo Palacio González was born in 1939. He is a doctor by profession (the education he received in the U.S.). A newly elected president does not belong to any political party in Ecuador. During the last months of Gutiérrez’s rule, González often publicly expressed his disagreement with a number of political issues and supported Gutiérrez’s opponents. The first hours of his presidency, Gonzalez spent in the Ministry of Defense of Ecuador, because not all the political forces in the country, especially the left-wing and Indian organizations, accepted the appearance of new president at the epicenter of events.
After taking the oath the new head of state ordered to close the country's borders. He commanded prosecutors issued a order for the arrest of former president Lucio Gutiérrez.