A court in Ecuador has sentenced former President Lenin Moreno to five years in prison after finding him guilty of accepting bribes linked to the construction of the country’s largest hydroelectric power project.
Moreno, who governed Ecuador from 2017 to 2021, was convicted alongside 19 other people in a corruption case surrounding the Coca Codo Sinclair dam, a major infrastructure project constructed by Chinese company Sinohydro. Ecuadorian prosecutors announced the convictions on Friday.
The case centres on allegations that millions of dollars were paid in bribes during the development of the hydroelectric facility. Prosecutors said Sinohydro distributed a total of $76 million in illicit payments, equivalent to about four per cent of the project’s construction cost.
Moreno was vice-president of Ecuador between 2007 and 2013 under then-President Rafael Correa, the period during which prosecutors say the corruption linked to the dam occurred. He later succeeded Correa as president after receiving his political backing.
However, the relationship between the two men deteriorated after Moreno took office. Moreno moved away from Correa’s political position, adopted a more conservative direction and developed closer relations with the United States, turning the former political allies into rivals.
Moreno rejected the court’s decision and maintained that he had never received money from Sinohydro. Speaking after Friday’s ruling, the 73-year-old former president said he had not received “a single cent” from the Chinese company.
He also accused the political camp associated with Correa of being behind the case, alleging that his former political mentor had promised to retaliate against him after their relationship broke down. Correa himself has previously faced a corruption conviction and now lives in Belgium.
The prosecution had requested a sentence of six and a half years for Moreno, meaning the court ultimately imposed a shorter prison term. Moreno has already indicated that he intends to challenge the verdict through an appeal.
The ruling also affected members of Moreno’s family. His wife and other relatives were sentenced to almost three years in prison after being found guilty of complicity in the corruption case.
Two former managers of the Coca Codo Sinclair power plant were also among those convicted, highlighting the broad scope of the proceedings surrounding the project and the alleged bribery network.
The Coca Codo Sinclair dam is the largest hydroelectric project in Ecuador and became a major symbol of the country’s infrastructure ambitions during the period in which Correa was in power. Its construction by Sinohydro placed the Chinese company at the centre of one of Ecuador’s most significant public infrastructure projects.
Prosecutors’ allegations focused on payments they said were made in connection with the project, with the $76 million figure forming a central part of the case against those convicted. The court’s ruling now places Moreno among several former senior officials and project figures convicted in relation to the alleged scheme.
Moreno’s political career had already undergone a significant transformation before Friday’s ruling. After succeeding Correa, he abandoned much of the political approach associated with his predecessor and sought to establish a different relationship with Ecuador’s institutions and international partners.
His break with Correa became one of the defining political developments of his presidency. Correa had supported Moreno’s rise to the presidency, but their alliance eventually collapsed, with both men becoming increasingly hostile toward each other.
Moreno also became internationally recognised before and during his political career for his work on disability issues. He is a paraplegic and previously served as a United Nations special envoy dealing with disability-related matters.
Despite his denial, the court found him guilty in the bribery case and imposed the five-year sentence. His decision to appeal means the legal dispute is expected to continue beyond Friday’s judgment.
The conviction adds another chapter to Ecuador’s long-running efforts to prosecute corruption allegations involving major public projects and senior political figures. The Coca Codo Sinclair case has brought together allegations involving government officials, members of Moreno’s family and executives associated with the hydroelectric project.
For Moreno, the ruling marks a dramatic legal setback following his four-year presidency and his earlier role as Correa’s vice-president. He continues to deny the allegations and argues that the prosecution is politically motivated.
The prosecution, however, maintains that the bribery scheme involved substantial payments connected to the Chinese-built dam. With 20 people convicted in the case, the judgment represents a major development in Ecuador’s investigation into alleged corruption surrounding one of the country’s most important energy projects.
Ecuador Court Sentences Former President Lenin Moreno to Five Years for Bribery
