Ecuador Court Orders Arrest of Ex-President Bucaram
ECUADOR · JUSTICE
Key Facts
—What happened: A court ordered the arrest of former president Abdalá Bucaram after a sixth hearing collapsed.
—How big it is: This was the sixth failed attempt to open the sentencing hearing since July.
—What it means: Bucaram faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of organized crime.
—The catch: The arrest order only takes effect when Bucaram is discharged from the clinic.
—Who it hits: Bucaram, his son Jacobo, Oren Sheinman and Leandro Berrones are the four defendants.
—What comes next: Police will arrest Bucaram upon his discharge and bring him to court for sentencing.
A court in Guayaquil has run out of patience with the delays in the COVID-19 tests case. Bucaram ruled Ecuador for six months in 1996-97.
The arrest order and the failed hearing
On September 3, 2026, a criminal court in Guayaquil declared the sentencing hearing in the COVID-19 tests case failed. The reason: former president Abdalá Bucaram did not show up, again.
The court then ordered his arrest. It told the police Search Block, a special manhunt unit, to watch the clinic where Bucaram is staying.
This was the sixth failed attempt to open the sentencing hearing since July. The case as a whole has run much longer, and dates back to 2020.
Prosecutor Lidia Sarabia called the situation ‘inadmissible, unheard of and unprecedented,’ according to Primicias. She also requested the arrest order.
Who is Abdalá Bucaram?
Abdalá Bucaram Ortiz was president of Ecuador from August 1996 to February 1997. That is about six months in office.
Congress removed him on February 5, 1997 with 44 votes, declaring him unfit to govern. It went on to remove two more presidents in the years that followed.
He then fled to Panama and lived there for about 20 years. Two cases from that time, over school backpacks and secret government funds, ran out of time in 2017 with no verdict.
That allowed him to return to Ecuador on June 15, 2017. Since then, he has faced new legal troubles, including the current COVID-19 tests case.
The COVID-19 tests case explained
The case is called Pruebas Covid-19, which means COVID-19 tests in Spanish. Prosecutors say Bucaram and others ran an organized crime ring that sold rapid COVID-19 tests and medical supplies during the pandemic.
The alleged scheme ran from March to August 2020, when Ecuador was in a health emergency. Prosecutors put it at 21,000 rapid tests, plus masks and other supplies.
The ‘Agentes AMT’ in the case name are officers of Quito’s Agencia Metropolitana de Tránsito. Prosecutors say they used their positions to escort the sellers from Quito to Guayaquil.
One of them, Leandro Berrones, is a co-defendant. Prosecutors have not put a money figure on the case in public.
The charge carries up to 10 years in prison in Ecuador.
Why the hearing failed six times
The sentencing hearing has been postponed many times. The latest delays are because Bucaram says he is hospitalized and recovering from surgery.
His lawyers say he had heart surgery on August 26. They say a new heart problem on August 31 put him in intensive care.
The clinic has not been named in public. A police officer sent to check on him could not confirm he was there, Expreso reported.
Hearings in a separate weapons case against him were also delayed, once by a blackout. That blackout hit the firearms trial on August 25.
Bucaram’s long legal history
Bucaram has faced legal troubles for about 40 years. He has been accused of embezzlement, defamation, and corruption, but many cases ended without a final verdict.
Bucaram was convicted of embezzlement in the Mochila Escolar case and of criminal defamation twice. But the 20-year limit on enforcing the embezzlement penalty ran out in 2017, letting him return without serving a day.
In 2020, he was arrested at his home in Guayaquil over alleged illegal commercialization of COVID-19 tests. That arrest was part of the investigations that led to the current case.
He has also faced a case over alleged illicit trafficking of firearms and ammunition. Hearings in that case have also been delayed, including due to blackouts.
What happens next
The court ordered the police Search Block to keep permanent watch on the clinic. When Bucaram is discharged, police will arrest him and bring him before the court.
Then the judge can finally read the sentence in the COVID-19 tests case. It is not clear when that will happen, as Bucaram’s health condition is not fully known.
The arrest order is not immediate. It only takes effect upon his discharge from the clinic.
Once arrested, Bucaram will be brought before the court. The sentencing hearing will then proceed with his presence.
Why this matters for Ecuador
Bucaram’s trial is part of a wider push in Ecuador to hold former officials to account. Several ex-presidents have faced legal scrutiny in recent years.
The case has drawn public attention because it involves a former head of state. Many Ecuadorians remember Bucaram’s chaotic six-month rule.
His removal in 1997 was a rare moment when Congress ousted a president. That decision was based on mental incompetence, a controversial move.
Now, nearly 30 years later, Bucaram is back in the legal spotlight. This trial is a test of whether the justice system can handle powerful figures.
The defendants and their roles
Four people are on trial: Bucaram, his son Jacobo Bucaram Pulley, Israeli citizen Sheinman Oren, and Leandro Berrones. Berrones is a former officer of Quito’s municipal transit agency, the AMT.
Prosecutors accuse Oren and Berrones of running the scheme. They accuse the two Bucarams of helping it.
The four were first detained in August 2020, weeks after the raids. The trial itself opened in April 2025 after seven earlier postponements.
Despite decades of proceedings and two defamation convictions, Bucaram has never served a day in prison.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was the arrest of ex-president Bucaram ordered?
The court ordered his arrest after a sixth attempt to hold the sentencing hearing in the COVID-19 tests case failed. The judge declared the hearing failed and issued the arrest order.
What is the COVID-19 tests case about?
Prosecutors accuse Bucaram and others of organized crime for selling COVID-19 tests and medical supplies during the pandemic. The alleged scheme ran from March to August 2020.
Is Bucaram in custody now?
No, he is still in a clinic under police surveillance. The arrest order will be executed when he is discharged from the clinic.
Who else is on trial in this case?
Bucaram’s son Jacobo, Israeli citizen Oren Sheinman, and Leandro Berrones are also defendants. Berrones is a former AMT officer.
What happens if Bucaram is convicted?
He could face up to 10 years in prison for organized crime. The sentence will be read once he appears in court.
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