Panama To Shelter Ecuador’s Ex-Leader

Panama granted asylum on Monday to ousted Ecuadorean President Abdala Bucaram, who was driven from office in February after being declared mentally unfit by his Congress.

The former president based his asylum request on claims that he fears persecution by the interim Ecuadorean government of President Fabian Alarcon, who succeeded him in office after a brief governmental crisis.

The asylum decision comes shortly after Ecuador’s high court issued arrest warrants against Bucaram and several of his collaborators for alleged misuse of several million dollars in government money.