Former Ecuadorian President Lenín Moreno was sentenced to five years in prison on Friday, August 28, 2026, by Ecuador’s National Court of Justice after being convicted of bribery tied to the construction of the country’s largest hydroelectric plant.
The ruling, delivered by Tribunal Head Judge Manuel Cabrera at the National Court of Justice in Quito, concludes a years-long investigation by the Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía General del Estado).
Prosecutors demonstrated that Chinese state-owned engineering firm Sinohydro paid roughly $76.1 million in illicit kickbacks, representing about 4% of the $2 billion project’s total cost between 2008 and 2018 to secure and maintain contracts for the 1,500-megawatt Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric dam.
Moreno, 73, was present in court for the verdict. Due to a physical disability that requires him to use a wheelchair, he will serve his five-year sentence under house arrest. The court also issued a lifetime ban prohibiting Moreno from holding public office.
Lenín Moreno (Former President & Vice President) was Sentenced to 5 years in prison for direct participation in bribery. His wife, Rocío González, and daughter, Irina Moreno, were convicted as accomplices and sentenced to 2 years and 6 months (30 months) each. His two brothers and two sisters-in-law also received convictions.
China’s former ambassador to Ecuador, Cai Runguo, was sentenced to 5 years in prison alongside two former power plant managers. In total, 20 individuals were convicted in connection with the network.
Delivering the tribunal’s verdict, Judge Manuel Cabrera affirmed the legal grounds for the conviction:”Lenín Moreno’s conduct is consistent with the charges brought by the prosecution: the crime of bribery attributed to a public official.”
Representatives from the Attorney General’s Office detailed how illicit funds were funneled through overseas bank accounts and shell companies in tax havens to conceal payments sent to Moreno’s inner circle while he served as vice president under former President Rafael Correa between 2007 and 2013.
Addressing the court, Lenín Moreno rejected the verdict, denied receiving “a single cent” from Sinohydro, and confirmed his legal team will appeal:
”A word of advice to the prosecutor: you’re looking in the wrong place. Look at those who signed the contracts, at those who had the habit of demanding kickbacks; you’re looking in the wrong place.”
Moreno added that the case was politically driven, accusing his former ally-turned-rival Rafael Correa of pursuing political revenge. With this ruling, Moreno becomes the third former Ecuadorian head of state to be convicted of corruption in recent years.
