Archive of Ecuador ex-president detained during raid

A former Ecuadorian president was detained during a raid of his home Wednesday as prosecutors investigate allegations he illegally sold COVID-19 supplies like masks and tests as part of an organized crime network.

Abdalá Bucaram, 68, was taken into custody in Guayaquil, two months after authorities raided his home and briefly detained him on a weapons charge after finding dozens of rapid antibody test kits in his possession.

Thus far he has not been charged with a crime.

The unusual case also involves Bucaram's three sons and two Israeli citizens caught transporting nearly 100,000 US dollars and utilizing fake documents in June to try and pass as members of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

One of the men, Shy Dahan, was recently found dead inside his jail cell while the other was injured during a purported attack.

Throughout Latin America, multiple officials and business leaders have been charged or forced to resign for fraudulent purchases of ventilators, masks and other critical supplies as the region's caseload steadily multiplies.

Ecuador was one of the first countries in Latin America to be hard hit by the virus.

In the port city of Guayaquil, hospitals were so overwhelmed in early April that they had to turn patients away and many died in their homes.

Mortuary workers took days to collect bodies, creating additional hardship for many families.

Bucaram was elected president of the small South American nation in 1996 and ousted by Congress less than six months later for "mental incapacity."

He was accused of corruption and nepotism during his brief time in office.

He rose to power with the votes of Ecuador's poor and indigenous groups and became known as "El Loco Que Ama" or "The Crazy Man Who Loves" for his many bizarre acts.

He once shaved his Charlie Chaplin-like mustache on a telethon to earn money for poor children and liked to compare himself to great world leaders who had been assassinated.

A judge recently ordered his three sons placed under preliminary detention while they are investigated for the illegal sale of COVID-19 medical supplies.

None have been captured and are now considered fugitives.

Bucaram's family has spoken out in his defense, saying he had a right to purchase the masks and test kits found in his possession.