A global ranking of presidents defined by incompetence, corruption, and structural damage
The worst in class
Historical turning points have always thrown rulers off balance, with only rare and honorable exceptions, who proved genuine wisdom by getting ahead of their time or by choosing a dignified exit.
The demands placed on exceptional leaders and technically competent governance teams in this new era are formidable.
It is not enough for a leader to have knowledge, a vocation for public service, or the willingness to choose the best people, which has never been easy. Integrity is also required, and on top of that comes the vertiginous pace at which global knowledge now shifts within weeks, destroying established cadres and permanently expelling the unfit.
Above all, what is required is leadership that reduces its action to what matters most: not getting in the way of those it governs.
Discépolo, in the tango “Cambalache,” fell short when he called the old century “problematic and feverish.” This first quarter of the 21st century is exposing, in real time and beyond borders, rulers who are useless, harmful, and perverse.
“Homo homini lupus est.” A Latin expression that takes on its full, tragic meaning when confronted with those who hold power arbitrarily, or are elected to govern only to abuse people.
Making a list of the “worst” leaders is always subjective. But if we base it on indicators of institutional corruption, economic collapse, human rights violations, and ridiculous eccentricities, these names stand out sharply over the last 25 years.
For the sake of mental hygiene, we will limit ourselves to exposing the intellectual sphincters of a few bestial specimens, without ruling out that, wherever one scratches a bit, all recent leaders investigated by courts or violently removed belong on the list of corrupt, deranged thieves of their peoples.
The temptation to go through them country by country is indescribable, but readers in every society will have more than enough material for their own scatological catharsis.
Robert Mugabe (Zimbabwe)
He turned the “breadbasket of Africa” into a failed state, with hyperinflation so absurd that 100-trillion-dollar bills were printed and still couldn’t buy an egg.
The ridiculous anecdote: In the year 2000, he won his own country’s national lottery. The state bank announced the prize and, to no one’s surprise, the winning ticket belonged to the “president” himself.
Nicolás Maduro (Venezuela)
Under his rule, Venezuela has suffered the largest economic and migratory crisis in recent Latin American history, with GDP falling by more than 80%.
The ridiculous anecdote: On national television, he claimed Hugo Chávez appeared to him in a small chapel in the form of a “little bird” that flew over him and whistled to grant him its blessing.
Viktor Yanukovych (Ukraine)
His presidency ended with the Euromaidan revolution. It is estimated that he and his “family” looted up to 40 billion dollars from the state.
The ridiculous anecdote: After fleeing to Russia, protesters entered his mansion (Mezhyhirya) and found a private zoo, a replica Spanish galleon for dining, and a solid-gold toilet.
Teodoro Obiang (Equatorial Guinea)
He is the longest-serving dictator currently in power in the world. While his family lives in insulting luxury, most of the population remains below the poverty line despite the country’s oil wealth.
His son and vice president, “Teodorín,” was investigated in France for buying a collection of Michael Jackson memorabilia, including the crystal glove, with public money, while the country lacked basic medical supplies.
Jacob Zuma (South Africa)
His presidency is defined by the term “State Capture,” as he allowed a business family, the Guptas, to dictate ministerial appointments for their own benefit.
The ridiculous anecdote: More than 20 million dollars in public funds were spent renovating his private home in Nkandla. When questioned about the swimming pool, his team claimed it was a “firefighting water reservoir.”
Silvio Berlusconi (Italy)
Although he did not wreck the economy on the scale of others, he degraded Italy’s political culture and institutions, facing more than 30 court cases for fraud and corruption.
The ridiculous anecdote: His infamous “Bunga Bunga” parties and his inappropriate remarks, such as calling Barack Obama “tanned,” or trying to hide behind a pedestal to scare Angela Merkel at a summit.
Najib Razak (Malaysia)
He was at the center of the 1MDB scandal, one of the largest thefts of public funds in history, involving more than 4.5 billion dollars.
The ridiculous anecdote: After raids on his properties, police seized 284 boxes of luxury handbags, mainly Hermès Birkins, and 72 suitcases filled with jewelry and cash. His wife, Rosmah Mansor, was known as the “Imelda Marcos of Malaysia.”
Bashar al-Assad (Syria)
Responsible for a civil war that displaced half the population and caused hundreds of thousands of deaths, including the use of chemical weapons against his own people.
The shameful anecdote: While the country bled in 2012, leaked emails showed his wife, Asma al-Assad, spending thousands of dollars online on crystal lamps and luxury furniture from stores in London.
Alberto Fujimori (Peru)
Although his presidency began earlier, his downfall and trials fall within the last 25 years. He was convicted of crimes against humanity and systematic corruption.
The shameful anecdote: When his regime collapsed in 2000, he fled to Japan and resigned the presidency by fax, attempting to rely on his dual nationality to evade justice.
Including Alberto Fernández (Argentina, 2019–2023) on this list is consistent if we look at the contrast between his public discourse and his internal economic and social management during the pandemic, which ended with one of the highest inflation rates in the world and an unprecedented personal credibility crisis.
We will see this and other profiles as we continue building this utterly unfinished ranking, along with the anecdotes that marked their spectacular collapse in popularity.