Jorge Glas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jorge Glas
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Glas in 2017
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| 48th Vice President of Ecuador | |
| In office 24 May 2013 – 3 January 2018 |
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| President | Rafael Correa Lenín Moreno |
| Preceded by | Lenín Moreno |
| Succeeded by | María Alejandra Vicuña |
| Coordinating Minister of Strategic Sectors | |
| In office 5 April 2010 – 10 November 2012 |
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| President | Rafael Correa |
| Preceded by | Galo Borja |
| Succeeded by | Rafael Poveda |
| Minister of Telecommunications and Information Society | |
| In office 14 August 2009 – 3 April 2010 |
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| President | Rafael Correa |
| Preceded by | Position created |
| Succeeded by | Jaime Guerrero |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Jorge David Glas Espinel
13 September 1969 Guayaquil, Ecuador |
| Citizenship |
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| Political party | Union for Hope |
| Other political affiliations |
PAIS Alliance |
| Spouse | Cinthia Díaz Aveiga |
| Parents | Jorge Glas Viejó Norma Espinel Aráuz |
| Alma mater | ESPOL |
Jorge David Glas Espinel (born 13 September 1969) is an Ecuadorian politician and an electrical engineer. He served as the Vice President of Ecuador from May 2013 to December 2017.
In August 2017, the president at the time, Lenín Moreno, removed Glas from his duties as vice president. Later, in December 2017, Glas was found guilty by a court for receiving a large sum of money, over $13.5 million, in connection with a major case involving a company called Odebrecht.
In April 2024, Ecuadorian police entered the Mexican embassy in Quito and arrested Glas. This event caused Mexico to end its relationship with Ecuador. Glas has been held in prison since then.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jorge Glas was born on September 13, 1969, in Guayaquil, Ecuador. His grandfather was a German Jewish immigrant who came to Ecuador to escape difficult times in Germany. Because of this family history, Jorge Glas also holds German citizenship.
He has been friends with Rafael Correa, who later became the president of Ecuador, since they were young boy scouts together.
Glas studied electrical and electronics engineering at the ESPOL university. He graduated in September 2008.
Political Career Highlights
Jorge Glas began his political career in 2007, working in the government of President Rafael Correa. He held several important roles.
- He was the general manager of the Solidarity Fund, a group of public companies that managed telecommunications and electricity.
- He also led the National Telecommunications Council.
- Later, he became the Minister of Telecommunications.
- He then served as the Coordinating Minister of Strategic Sectors. In this role, he helped combine two large telecommunications companies into the National Corporation of Telecommunications. He was also the first person to lead this new corporation.
- As Coordinating Minister, he was in charge of building several important hydroelectric power stations, which help produce electricity for the country.
In the 2013 Ecuadorian general election, Jorge Glas was chosen to be the Vice President of Ecuador. He officially started his term on May 24, 2013. On August 4, 2017, the new president, Lenín Moreno, suspended Glas from his duties as vice president.
Legal Challenges and Imprisonment
On December 15, 2017, Jorge Glas was sentenced to six years in prison. This was for receiving money from a large Brazilian company called Odebrecht. Because he could not do his job for 90 days, he was officially removed from his position as Vice President on January 2, 2018. A few days later, María Alejandra Vicuña became the new Vice President.
In October 2019, a higher court confirmed his six-year prison sentence. Glas was held in a prison in Latacunga, south of Quito. In April 2020, he received another sentence of eight years in prison for a different case involving public funds. This also meant he could not participate in politics for 25 years. In January 2021, he received another eight-year sentence related to an oil contract.
Glas was temporarily released from prison in April 2022 due to health reasons, but he was later sent back to prison. In November 2022, he was released again, but he was not allowed to leave Ecuador.
In December 2023, Jorge Glas went to the Mexican embassy in Quito and asked for political asylum. He said he was being unfairly targeted by the government.
Arrest at the Mexican Embassy
On April 5, 2024, Ecuadorian police entered the Mexican embassy in Quito and arrested Jorge Glas. Mexico had just given him asylum. After this event, Mexico ended its diplomatic relationship with Ecuador. The next day, Nicaragua also ended its ties with Ecuador to support Mexico.
On April 9, 2024, prison officials stated that Glas was taken to a hospital in Guayaquil because he had not eaten for 24 hours. They reported his condition was stable.
On October 9, 2024, the United States government announced that Jorge Glas was not allowed to enter the United States. This decision was made due to accusations of corruption.
On January 5, 2025, Jorge Glas was moved from La Roca prison in Guayaquil after there was an alleged attempt to harm him. On June 30, 2025, Glas received another sentence of 13 years in prison. This was for misusing public money that was meant to help rebuild areas affected by the 2016 Ecuador earthquake.
See also
In Spanish: Jorge Glas para niños
- Ecuador–Mexico relations
Images for kids
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Jorge Glas in 2017
