Ecuador's riots of the past week were triggered by the return from exile of a wacked—out Ecuadorean ex—president named Abdala 'El Loco' Bucaram. If you have any negative stereotypes about South American presidents, rest assured that this guy outdoes them.

El Loco was thrown out of power several years ago for 'mental instability' and is so disgustingly rabid he makes Venezuela's Hugo Chavez look like a statesman. Not only is he leftwing, he is also corruption incarnate. He has a distinct taste for embarrassing the nation — like singing in a rock band while on presidential duty or inviting Lorena Bobbitt to the president's mansion. In other ways, he's known as a political thug with a nasty political enforcement machine.
 
El Loco triggered massive demonstrations in Ecuador when a rigged Supreme Court dropped corruption charges against him because he was now ex—President Lucio Gutierrez's friend. El Loco promptly announced that he would be returning to Ecuador, "older and crazier than ever" to make a bid to reclaim power ... as the next Hugo Chavez. Which, I suppose, is a step upward for him.
 
That triggered last week's revolution in Ecuador. It was the last straw for the people who weren't happy about the crony court in the first place.
 
Ex—President Lucio Gutierrez, another leftwinger, is currently holed up in the Brazilian ambassador's residence as howling mobs bay outside his window calling for his head, awaiting an asylum flight to Brazil. Venezuela had offered him asylum, but apparently thinking of his political viability or reputation, he chose to take the asylum offer from democratically left—leaning Brazil instead.
 
Not so El Loco. Alek Boyd reports (scroll down) that the freak has now gone to his political Promised Land for asylum, Hugo Chavez's Venezuela. I think this tells us all we need to know.