Former Ecuadorian vice president detained in embassy raid gets 13 years in prison
Jorge Glas had been accused of misusing public funds intended for the reconstruction of two provinces affected by an earthquake in 2016. The quake devastated communities and killed hundreds of people.
Glas became vice president in 2013, during the presidency of Rafael Correa, and was removed from that position in January 2018, when he was charged in a corruption case tied to the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht.
Judge Mercedes Caicedo said the funds for reconstruction efforts following the earthquake were allocated to 'useless, unusable and unnecessary buildings' disregarding the law, and above all, 'with complete disrespect for the victims.'
The court also barred Glas from ever holding public office and fined him $28,800.
Glas is already in a maximum-security prison serving time in two other corruption cases. He was detained in April 2024 when police stormed Mexico's embassy in Ecuador's capital, Quito, hours after he had been granted asylum.
The embassy raid sparked outrage among world leaders, who criticized Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa.
Diplomatic premises are considered foreign soil and 'inviolable' under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, and host country law enforcement agencies are not allowed to enter without the permission of the ambassador.
Ecuador's government defended the arrest, arguing that Glas was a fugitive wanted in corruption cases, not for political reasons, and therefore was not eligible for Mexico's diplomatic protection.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
a few seconds ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Haiti declares a 3-month state of emergency as gangs ravage country's central region
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Haiti's government announced Saturday that it is implementing a three-month state of emergency in the country's central region as gang violence surges. The measure will cover Haiti's West, Artibonite and Center departments 'to continue the fight against insecurity and respond to the agricultural and food crisis,' according to a government statement. The region — known as Haiti's rice basket — has been under attack in recent years, with gangs killing farmers or forcing them to abandon their fields as they raze nearby communities. The United Nations' human rights office noted that from October 2024 to the end of June 2025, more than 1,000 people have been killed, more than 200 injured and 620 kidnapped in the Artibonite and Central departments and nearby areas. Gang violence also has displaced more than 239,000 people in Haiti's central region, according to the U.N. In late April, dozens of people waded and swam across the country's largest river in a desperate attempt to flee gangs. On Friday, the government appointed a new interim director general to oversee Haiti's National Police, which is working with Kenyan police officers leading a U.N.-backed mission to help quell gang violence. André Jonas Vladimir Paraison replaces former police director general Normil Rameau, who was criticized for his struggle to contain violence perpetrated by gangs that control up to 90% of Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince. Rameau had repeatedly warned about the department's severe underfunding. Paraison previously served as head of security of Haiti's National Palace, and he was on duty as a police officer when former President Jovenel Moïse was killed at his private residence in July 2021. The changes come as Laurent Saint-Cyr, a wealthy businessman, takes over as president of Haiti's transitional presidential council, which is charged with holding elections by February 2026.
Toronto Star
6 minutes ago
- Toronto Star
Israel faces growing condemnation over military expansion in Gaza
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — International condemnation grew Saturday over Israel's decision for a military takeover of Gaza City, while tens of thousands of Israelis rallied in what local media called one of the largest anti-government protests in recent months following 22 months of war. Ceasefire efforts appeared to be reviving with Israel's announcement. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff was expected to meet with Qatar's prime minister in Spain on Saturday to discuss a new proposal to end the war, according to two officials familiar with the talks, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak with the media.
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Justice Department targets New York attorney general, a Trump foe. Here's what to know
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — President Donald Trump's Justice Department is zeroing in on New York Attorney General Letitia James with a subpoena for records related to the $454 million civil judgement she won against Trump for lying about his wealth, a person familiar with the matter has told The Associated Press. The subpoena is part of an investigation into whether James violated Trump's civil rights, another person said. The people could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke Friday to the AP on the condition of anonymity. Another subpoena seeks records related to James' lawsuit involving the National Rifle Association, a person familiar with the matter said. On top of that, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi recently named a special prosecutor to help conduct a mortgage fraud investigation into James. James has sued Trump and his Republican administration dozens of times over his policies as president and over how he conducted his private business empire. Trump vowed on the campaign trail to seek retribution against his opponents, and the moves against James are among the most serious yet against Trump's political foes by the Justice Department. Here's what to know about James and the escalating investigations: James says she's being politically targeted The Democratic attorney general has denied any wrongdoing and said the mortgage probe is politically motivated. Her personal attorney, Abbe D. Lowell, called the subpoenas 'improper.' 'Weaponizing the Department of Justice to try to punish an elected official for doing her job is an attack on the rule of law and a dangerous escalation by this administration,' Lowell said. 'The art of the steal' James is the first Black woman elected to statewide office in New York, the state's first Black attorney general and the first woman elected to the post. She fixated on Trump during the 2018 campaign, branding him as a 'con man' and pledging to shine a 'bright light into every dark corner of his real estate dealings.' As soon as she took office, James launched several lawsuits over his immigration and environmental policies. She inherited a state lawsuit against Trump's charitable foundation and steered it to a settlement that included a $2 million fine. She filed another civil lawsuit against Trump in September 2022, alleging that his company deceived banks, insurers and others by overvaluing assets and his net worth on financial paperwork. 'It's the art of the steal,' she said when announcing the case against Trump, turning the title of Trump's book 'The Art of the Deal' against him. Trump says James never intended to be fair In 2024, a New York judge ruled that Trump lied for years about his wealth and ordered him to pay $354.9 million in penalties plus nearly $100 million in interest. Trump is appealing the judgement. He also posted a $175 million bond to halt the state from collecting what he owes and seizing his assets. Trump says his financial statements actually understated his wealth and that any mistakes in the documents were harmless errors that played no role in banks' lending decisions. He and his lawyers repeatedly accused James of engaging in 'lawfare' for political purposes — a claim she denies. Trump has long criticized James′ legal volleys as political theater designed to catapult her to fame. Trump also complained that her comments about him, prior to her election, show she never intended to be fair. 'Corporate death penalty' In her role as a regulator of charities and nonprofit groups registered in New York, James sued the NRA and its longtime leader Wayne LaPierre. A jury last year found that LaPierre misspent millions of dollars and used the organization's funds to pay for an extravagant lifestyle, while the NRA itself failed to properly manage its assets and violated whistleblower protections. A New York judge also banned LaPierre from holding a paid position with the organization for a decade, but declined to appoint an independent monitor to oversee the group. James had sought to dissolve the powerful gun advocacy organization, however a judge ruled that the allegations did not warrant a 'corporate death penalty.' Mortgage fraud investigation FBI Director Kash Patel in May confirmed James was being investigated after a Trump administration official accused her of mortgage fraud. James' lawyer says the accusation was a lie based on a purposeful misreading of documents. The investigation centers on forms James signed in 2023 while helping a niece buy a home in Norfolk, Virginia. One form stated that James intended to occupy the home as her 'principal residence.' But in other documents, James made clear she had no intention of living there. An email to the mortgage loan broker two weeks before she signed the documents stated the property 'WILL NOT be my primary residence.' This week, Bondi named Ed Martin as a special prosecutor to help conduct a mortgage fraud investigation into James, according to the person familiar with the matter. James denied any wrongdoing and called the claim politically motivated. Martin leads the Weaponization Working Group, which is examining Trump's claims of anti-conservative bias inside the Justice Department. Martin's nomination for District of Columbia U.S. attorney was pulled amid Republican lawmakers' concerns about his scant prosecutorial experience and support for Jan. 6 rioters.
