Ecuador's Supreme Court Convicts Ex-President Moreno on Corruption Charges

Ecuador's Supreme Court has convicted former President Lenin Moreno, who governed from 2017 to 2021, on corruption charges, sentencing him to five years in prison. Moreno was found guilty of accepting $76 million in bribes from Chinese state firm Sinohydro during construction of the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric plant, which supplies around 30% of Ecuador's electricity. Nineteen others were convicted alongside Moreno, including the former Chinese ambassador to Ecuador. The ex-president's wife and family members received two-and-a-half-year sentences. Prosecutors had sought six and a half years for Moreno himself. Moreno, 73, who uses a wheelchair, may qualify for house arrest. He has denied the charges and plans to appeal the verdict. The Coca Codo Sinclair dam was a flagship China-Ecuador infrastructure project financed through Chinese state loans.