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QUAYAQUIL, Ecuador (AP) — Former Ecuadorean President Abdala Bucaram returned early Friday to the South American nation he fled two decades ago after lawmakers declared him mentally unfit to rule.
Bucaram arrived in Guayaquil after legal claims alleging he embezzled public funds expired.
Nicknamed the "Crazy One" because of his fondness for dancing and throwing parties, Bucaram was booted from the presidency by legislators in February 1997 after just six months in office. He was later accused of stealing about $3 million in public funds being leaving power.
He was granted political asylum in Panama, spending 20 years away before returning home.
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