the national debt romania owed to other countries went from $3 billion to almost $10 billion between 1977 and 1981. the amount of money that romania owed other countries caused them to rely on banks and other lenders from around the world. president nicolae ceauşescu's autarchic ways meant he did not want to rely on other countries and romania paid back money borrowed from other countries. this affected the romanian economy. to try to stay in power, ceauşescu had anyone who disagreed with him arrested and put in prison. many people were killed or hurt. almost 60,000 people were put in psychiatric hospitals. ceauşescu eventually lost power and was killed in the romanian revolution of 1989.