Fabián Alarcón

Fabián Ernesto Alarcón Rivera (born 14 April 1947) is an Ecuadorian former politician who served as the 40th president of Ecuador from 1997 to 1998. He previously served as the president of the National Congress from 1991 to 1992 and again from 1995 to 1997.

When President Abdalá Bucaram was impeached on 6 February 1997, Alarcón, as president of the National Congress, became acting president. However, three days later on 9 February, Bucaram's vice president, Rosalía Arteaga, became president, causing a political crisis on who should succeed Bucaram. However, Alarcón became president again with support of Congress and the military, with Arteaga retaking her previous role as vice president.

In 1998, Alarcón called for general elections to be held where he did not participate. He was succeeded by Jamil Mahuad. Alarcón was arrested on corruption charges in 1999, but was later released. Until Rafael Correa in 2013, no other Ecuadorian presidents would serve a full term since Sixto Durán Ballén.

Life Alarcón was born in Quito. His father, Ruperto Alarcón, was a former president of the Chamber of Deputies.

He was the President of the National Congress from 1991 to 1992 and then again from August 1995 to February 1997, when he was made acting president due to the impeachment of President Abdalá Bucaram. This deepened the political crisis in Ecuador as vice-president Rosalía Arteaga challenged Alarcón's assumption of the presidency. Arteaga then became president for two days, but Alarcón was restored. He gave up the presidency after early elections were held in 1998, in which he did not run. In 1999 he was arrested on corruption charges, but was later released. Alarcón is a member of the Alfarista Radical Front. He continues to receive a lifetime pension from the Ecuadorian government of $38,800 annually.

He ran for mayor of Quito in 1988 and 1992, losing both times.