Ecuador's ex-president sentenced to five years for bribery

An Ecuadorian court has sentenced former President Lenín Moreno to five years in prison and barred him from holding public office after finding him guilty of accepting bribes from a Chinese company involved in the construction of the nation's largest hydroelectric plant. The ruling, delivered on Friday, August 28, 2026, marks the third time a former Ecuadorian president has been convicted of corruption. Moreno, 73, who served as president from 2017 to 2021, was convicted as a direct participant in a bribery scheme that occurred during his earlier tenure as vice president under Rafael Correa, from 2007 to 2013. The court found that he and his family members received illicit payments from Sinohydro, the Chinese state-owned firm that built the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric dam. The project, which began operating in 2016, has been plagued by technical problems since its completion. According to prosecutors, Sinohydro paid approximately $76.1 million in bribes between 2009 and 2018 through fraudulent consulting contracts. The funds were allegedly routed via overseas bank accounts and shell companies to Moreno, his wife, his daughter, and other associates.