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Jorge GlasEcuadorian politician and statesman
Date of Birth: 13.09.1969
Country:  Ecuador |
Content:
- Jorge Glas Espinel
- Vice Presidency
- Odebrecht Scandal and Sentencing
- Additional Convictions
- Release and Political Asylum
- Asylum Request and Arrest
- Hospitalization
Jorge Glas Espinel
Early Life and Political CareerJorge Glas Espinel is an Ecuadorian politician and electrical engineer. He served as Vice President of Ecuador from May 24, 2013, to December 13, 2017. He held various political positions in the government of Rafael Correa, including Director General of the Solidarity Fund (2007-2009), President of the National Telecommunications Council, Minister of Telecommunications, and Coordinating Minister of Strategic Sectors.
Vice Presidency
In the 2013 Ecuadorian presidential election, Glas was elected Vice President of Ecuador. He began his term as Vice President on May 24, 2013. On August 4, 2017, Glas was suspended from exercising his duties as Vice President by President Lenin Moreno.
Odebrecht Scandal and Sentencing
On December 15, 2017, Glas was sentenced to six years in prison for receiving over $13.5 million in bribes as part of the Odebrecht scandal. On January 2, 2018, Glas was removed from office, as he had been unable to carry out his duties for more than 90 days, in accordance with Article 146 of the Ecuadorian Constitution.
Additional Convictions
In October 2019, Ecuador's Supreme Court upheld his six-year sentence. In April 2020, Glas was sentenced to an additional eight years in prison for corruption charges in the National Court of Ecuador. He was also deprived of his political rights for 25 years. In January 2021, the Ecuadorian Supreme Court sentenced him to another eight years in prison for misuse of public funds in an oil contract.
Release and Political Asylum
On April 10, 2022, Glas was granted a writ of habeas corpus, allowing him to be released on bail for 40 days due to alleged violations of his legal guarantees and the lack of medical care in prison. However, this was revoked by a court in the Santa Elena province, and he was returned to prison. In November 2022, Glas was again released, but was prohibited from leaving the country for the remainder of his sentence.
Asylum Request and Arrest
In December 2023, Glas entered the Mexican Embassy in Quito and requested political asylum, citing political persecution. On April 5, 2024, he was arrested by Ecuadorian police in a raid on the Mexican Embassy in Quito. As a result of this incident, Mexico severed diplomatic relations with Ecuador. On April 6, 2024, Nicaragua also severed relations with Ecuador in solidarity with Mexico.
Hospitalization
On April 9, 2024, prison authorities stated that Glas had been hospitalized in the Guayaquil Naval Hospital after not eating for 24 hours, adding that his condition was stable.
