The United States has officially banned former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa and his vice president Jorge Glas from entering the country due to their involvement in significant corruption cases during their time in public office. The State Department announced this decision, which also extends to their immediate family members, citing abuses of power and acceptance of bribes in exchange for favorable government contracts as key reasons for the ban.
Rafael Correa, who served as president from 2007 to 2017, has been living in exile in Belgium since his conviction in absentia for corruption in 2020. He was sentenced to eight years in prison for leading a bribery network that involved securing funds from private companies for political campaigns through coercive means. Correa has consistently denied these allegations, labeling them as politically motivated persecution.
Jorge Glas, who served as vice president under Correa, is currently imprisoned in Ecuador after being removed from the Mexican embassy where he sought asylum. His arrest led to a diplomatic crisis between Ecuador and Mexico. Glas has a prior sentence related to the Odebrecht scandal and is facing additional charges of corruption. Both former leaders have publicly criticized the U.S. government's decision, suggesting it is a distraction from domestic issues in Ecuador.
The U.S. designation of Correa and Glas as ineligible for entry is part of a broader commitment to combat global corruption, emphasizing that no individual is above the law, regardless of their political standing. The implications of this ban may affect Ecuador's political landscape, especially as the country grapples with ongoing crises, including energy shortages and escalating violence. Correa's claims that the timing of the ban is politically motivated raise questions about the intersection of international relations and domestic politics in Ecuador.
