Vice President Jorge Glass Included in Criminal Case

ECUADOR - In Brief 28 Aug 2017 by Magdalena Barreiro

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Last Friday, the absolute majority of the Assemblywith absolute majority approved the inclusion of Vice-President Jorge Glass in a criminal case related to corruption during his office under President Correa's mandate. The figure is that of "illicit association" --somewhat of lower level compared to embezzlement, but this is just a start.In fact, prosecutor general Carlos Baca announced he would include Glass in the mentioned crime after uncovering "convincing" evidence of his involvement in "conspiracy linked to activities of bribery" as denounced by the Brazilian Oderbrecht. Glass continues to claim his innocence and is calling the process "a media lynching supported by President Moreno. However, he is getting lonelier by the hour. Glass formal inclusion in the case was precipitated after the declaration of Carlos Pareja, a former minister of Oil under Correa also accused under similar charges who returned from the US to seek an agreement with the prosecutor general.The above mentioned decision of the Assembly is a clear turnaround from their past strong support of Glass and denial to accept an oppositions's petition of political impeachment. It is clear that such evidence against Glass which forced them to change gear debilitates Alianza Pais considerably. We believe their decision came not out of conviction, but from the necessity to maintain credibility among citizens.This political scandals are divesting attention from the central economic problem, at a time when the government should be concentrated in developing the new budget for 2018. It also reveals the enormous tensions between President Moreno and Alianza Pais and within the official party itself --a situa...