Former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa has been sentenced to eight years in prison for absenteeism. The former head of state (2007-2017) and his vice president Jorge Glas knew about the bribe payments and were indirectly responsible for the corruption network, the verdict yesterday said. The decision in the first instance can still be appealed.
Correa currently lives in Belgium and did not personally attend the verdict. He had always rejected the allegations. „It’s all wrong,“ he responded on Twitter. „Nothing has been proven.“
Contracts for construction companies?
Correa and other politicians and officials have been accused of taking over $ 7 million in bribes. In return, they are said to have awarded government contracts to construction companies. Correa had brought about a period of political stability and social progress during his tenure in Ecuador.
Through state-organized resource exploitation, especially oil production, he succeeded in helping numerous people out of poverty and giving them access to education. He also expanded the infrastructure of the South American country. However, critics accused him of authoritarian tendencies. After the end of his term, he overtook himself with his former vice president, today’s head of state Lenin Moreno.
