Ecuador’s Former Vice President Gets 13 Years for Misusing Earthquake Relief Money

Ecuador’s top court has sentenced former Vice President Jorge Glas to 13 years in prison for misusing public money that was meant to help people after a major earthquake in 2016.

This decision comes from official court records and statements by Ecuador’s authorities. After the earthquake, which killed nearly 700 people and destroyed thousands of homes and buildings, the government collected hundreds of millions of dollars from special taxes.

The money was supposed to rebuild the most damaged areas: Manabí and Esmeraldas provinces. Instead, the court found that Glas and Carlos Bernal, a top official in charge of reconstruction, used much of this money on projects that had nothing to do with helping earthquake victims.

For example, they spent money on a park and a bridge in areas that were not hit by the disaster. The court said these projects were unnecessary and did not help those who lost their homes and businesses.

Because of this, the court ordered Glas and Bernal to pay back $250 million to the state and banned them from holding any public job in the future. Glas said he never controlled the money or the contracts, but the judges disagreed.

They said he used his power to direct money to the wrong places. This is not the first time Glas has been convicted of corruption. He is already in prison for taking bribes in other cases, including one involving the Brazilian company Odebrecht.

Disaster Relief Corruption Sparks Ecuador-Mexico Diplomatic Crisis

Former President Rafael Correa, who led Ecuador at the time of the earthquake, was also convicted of corruption in a separate case and now lives in Belgium.

Glas’s arrest in April 2024 caused a big argument between Ecuador and Mexico. Glas had been hiding in the Mexican embassy in Quito, asking for asylum. Ecuadorian police entered the embassy to arrest him, which led Mexico to cut off diplomatic ties with Ecuador.

This case shows what can go wrong when disaster relief money is not carefully managed. When leaders misuse funds meant for people in crisis, those who need help the most end up suffering.

The scandal has also damaged trust in Ecuador’s government and created problems with other countries. All details in this article come from official court documents and government sources.

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