Guayaquil Mayor Aquiles Alvarez and several associates, including his brothers, have been placed under preventive detention due to an investigation into organized crime and corruption.
In a significant legal development, Aquiles Alvarez, the Mayor of Guayaquil, along with his two brothers, Antonio and Xavier, and seven other officials, have been ordered to preventive detention by a court dealing with corruption and organized crime cases. This ruling came after an interrupted hearing on Wednesday, February 11, highlighting the serious nature of the allegations against them. One accused individual was granted house arrest due to age considerations, illustrating the court's approach to handling those involved based on circumstance.
The Attorney General's office launched this case, known as the 'Goleada' case, citing that Mayor Alvarez did not wear a monitoring device that was supposed to be placed on him due to previous allegations in the Triple A case. This aspect raises questions about compliance with judicial measures and the increased scrutiny both Alvarez and the implicated officials are now facing, indicating a stringent stance on corruption within the municipal government.
The arrests, which occurred in the early hours of February 10, are part of an extensive probe into organized crime, underscoring the urgency and severity with which the authorities are addressing corruption allegations in Ecuador. Notable figures among those detained include Pablo Pita, the manager of the Guayaquil Airport Authority, and Carlos Asanza, manager of the Guayaquil Land Terminal, suggesting widespread issues within the local administration that may have far-reaching implications for the city's governance and public trust.
