Ecuadorian court convicts former President Lenin Moreno of hydroelectric bribery

In Quito, a tribunal led by Judge Manuel Cabrera delivered a guilty verdict against former President Lenin Moreno, his wife and daughter for participation in a bribery network surrounding the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric plant. The investigation, launched by the attorney general in March 2023, linked the trio to local and Chinese partners, including former Chinese ambassador to Quito, and to Sinohydro, which allegedly paid about $76.1 million through sham consulting contracts from 2009 to 2018.

Funds were reportedly moved via overseas banks and shell companies to Moreno’s relatives and business associates, with more than $1 million received while he was vice president. Moreno, aged 73, has consistently rejected the accusations and claimed the real culprits are the contract signatories. He traveled back from Paraguay to attend the trial, where prosecutors sought sentences of over six years for him and 19 other accused parties. The ruling adds a major corruption case to Ecuador's political landscape.