Rodrigo Borja Cevallos

Rodrigo Borja Cevallos (born June 19, 1935)[1] is an Ecuadorian politician who was President of Ecuador from August 10, 1988 to August 10, 1992.[2][3] He is also a descendant of the House of Borgia.

Rodrigo Borja
Borja at El Pardo Palace, September 1989
36th President of Ecuador
In office August 10, 1988 – August 10, 1992
Vice President	Luis Parodi Valverde (1988–1992)
Preceded by	León Febres Cordero
Succeeded by	Sixto Durán Ballén
Personal details
Born	June 19, 1935 (age 85) Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador
Nationality	Ecuadorian
Political party	Democratic Left
Spouse(s)	Carmen Calisto ​ (m. 1966)​
Children	4
Alma mater	Central University of Ecuador

Life

Borja in 2004

Borja was born in Quito, the capital of Ecuador. He helped to found the Party of the Democratic Left, a socialist political party which quickly gained strength. He served several terms in Congress, leaving it in 1982. Borja first ran for President of Ecuador in 1978, coming in fourth place. He again ran for president in 1984, receiving the most votes in the first round, 36%, but he was defeated in the runoff. He succeeded in winning the 1988 presidential election.

He focused on Ecuador's economic problems during his presidency, and he increased collaboration with other countries in the Americas. He spent time with U.S. President George H. W. Bush on July 22 and July 23, 1990, even playing tennis with him.[4][5] The two met again on February 26, 1992, at a drug policy conference.[6][7]

Like all Ecuadorian presidents, he was not allowed to seek a second term. After his presidency, he remained the leader of the Party of the Democratic Left. Reelection was allowed after a 1994 referendum and he ran for President in 1998, receiving 12% of the vote and coming in third place, and again ran for president in 2002, receiving 14% of the vote and fourth place.

It is claimed that he is a direct descendant of Pope Alexander VI through his son Giovanni Borgia, 2nd Duke of Gandia.[8]

Marriage and children

On December 16, 1966, in the city of Quito, he married Carmen Calisto. They had four children:[9]

• Gabriela Borja Calisto
• María del Carmen Borja Calisto
• Rodrigo Borja Calisto
• Verónica Borja Calisto

See also

• Party of the Democratic Left
• Alfredo Vera Arrata

External links

• Biography by CIDOB (in Spanish)

References

1. Macmillan General Reference Staff (October 1, 1988). Latin American lives: selected biographies from the five-volume Encyclopedia of Latin American history and culture. Prentice Hall & IBD. p. 161. ISBN 9780028650609.
2. Zarate, Roberto Ortiz de. "Ecuador Presidente de la República". Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (in Spanish). Retrieved January 29, 2013.
3. "Dr. Rodrigo Borja Cevallos". Explored (in Spanish). Retrieved January 29, 2013.
4. "Meetings with Foreigners, 1990" (PDF). The George Bush Presidential Library and Museum. p. 18. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
5. "Remarks Following Discussions With President Rodrigo Borja Cevallos of Ecuador". The George Bush Presidential Library and Museum. July 23, 1990. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
6. "Meetings with Foreigners, 1992" (PDF). The George Bush Presidential Library and Museum. p. 7. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
7. "The President's News Conference With the Drug Summit Participants in San Antonio". The George Bush Presidential Library and Museum. February 27, 1992. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
8. Jaime de Salazar y Acha (2010). "Boletín de la Real Academia Matritense de Heráldica y Genealogía" (PDF) (in Spanish). Real Academia Matritense de Heráldica y Genealogía. p. 17. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
9. Pérez Pimentel, Rodolfo. "Rodrigo Borja Cevallos". diccionariobiograficoecuador.com (in Spanish). Guayaquil: Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil. Retrieved 15 November 2017.