Former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas sentenced to 13 years in prison for corruption

The National Court of Justice of Ecuador issued a new sentence against former Vice President Jorge Glas, sentencing him to 13 years in prison for the misuse of public funds intended for the reconstruction of areas affected by the 2016 earthquake. The judicial decision also permanently disqualifies him from holding public office. During the reading of the ruling, Judge Mercedes Caicedo pointed out that the resources obtained through taxes and contributions from the citizenry were diverted towards constructions that she described as “useless, unused and unnecessary”, without adherence to the Solidarity Law nor consideration for the victims of the disaster.

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Glas is already serving previous sentences of six and eight years for other corruption cases, one of them shared with former President Rafael Correa, who resides in Belgium as a fugitive. In addition to the prison sentence, the former vice president lost his political participation rights for 25 years and will have to pay a fine of $28,800. The sentence also includes joint compensation with another former minister, for a total of $250 million, for material and immaterial damages caused by the embezzlement of public funds. The funds involved were primarily intended for the reconstruction of the province of Manabí and other areas devastated by the earthquake. The sentence highlights that their irregular use represented a serious lack of respect for the victims and the laws that protected those resources.