Former Philippine President Fidel Valdez Ramos, a U.S.-trained ex-general who saw action in the Korean and Vietnam wars and played a key role in a 1986 pro-democracy uprising that ousted a dictator, has died. He was 94.
Ramos was the late dictator's second cousin, and in 1972 had helped him implement martial law during which thousands of people were incarcerated, tortured and became victims of extrajudicial killings and disappearances.
The United States, the European Union and other foreign governments expressed their condolences. “His contributions to the U.S.-Philippines bilateral relationship and advancing our shared goals of peace and democracy will always be remembered,” the U.S. Embassy in Manila said. She was swept into the presidency in 1986 after the largely peaceful “People Power” revolt that toppled the elder Marcos and became a harbinger of change in authoritarian regimes worldwide.
In 1992, Ramos won the presidential elections and became the largely Roman Catholic nation’s first Protestant president. His term was marked by major reforms and attempts to dismantle telecommunications and other business monopolies that triggered a rare economic boom, bolstered the image of the impoverished Southeast Asian country and drew praise from business leaders and the international community.
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