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Alfonso Antonio Portillo Cabrera (born September 24, 1951) is a former President of Guatemala.
He took office on January 14, 2000, representing the right-wing Guatemalan National Front. Upon becoming president he asked Juan Francisco Reyes López to serve as his vice president.
Right and Left wing parties do not at all adhere to the U.S.A. perception of politics. While Portillo might have theoretically been a member of the republican party his campaign and government was based on advocating for take from the rich and give to the poor taxation to gain popularity and votes from the highly unequal Guatemalan society instead of supporting free trade as the right wing usually does.
In the first round of the elections (Guatemala election, November 2003), he backed former dictator Efraín Ríos Montt to succeed him. However, he lost to Óscar Berger Perdomo, who was sworn in on January 14, 2004.
Portillos government is tainted with thefts, money laundering, money tranferring to the army, creation of bank accounts in Mexico, Panama and U.S.A. by many members his staff, totalling more than 100 million US dollars.
When his political immunity was revoked on February 19th 2004 he immediately fled to Mexico.
On August 16, 2004, Mexican immigration authorities granted Portillo a year-long work visa. Portillo has connections with Mexico going back to his tenure at a provincial Mexican university in Guerrero in the 1980s, where he lectured in political science.
It was there in the city of Chilpancingo where Portillo murdered 2 students and afterwards fled to Mexico city to obtain refuge provided by governing party, the PRI, as an employee for the Universidad Autónoma de Mexico.
The scandal was brought up in the 1999 elections but it didnt harm the results as he fenced the attacks simply claiming it was self defence and they were criminals.
He comfortably lives in Mexico City in a luxurious apartment in one of the most exclusive neighbourhoods.
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