Former Ecuadorian President Abdalá Bucaram and his son, Jacobo Bucaram, have been sentenced to nine years and four months in prison after being convicted as collaborators in an organised criminal scheme involving the irregular sale of COVID-19 tests and other medical supplies during the pandemic.
The ruling was delivered by an Ecuadorian court on Wednesday, September 9, following a case that began over activities dating to 2020.
Prosecutors said the criminal structure profited from the sale of about 21,000 rapid COVID-19 tests and other medical supplies between March and August 2020, when Ecuador was struggling with one of the region’s most severe early outbreaks. Bucaram and his son were found to have acted as collaborators in the organisation rather than its principal operators.
Two other defendants received heavier sentences. Former Quito traffic officer Leandro Berrones was sentenced to 13 years and four months, while another defendant linked to the operation also faced punishment for his role in the scheme. The court imposed additional sanctions after considering aggravating circumstances connected with the exploitation of a national health emergency.
Bucaram, 74, followed the proceedings remotely while receiving medical treatment in Guayaquil for heart problems. Because of his age, he could be permitted to serve the sentence under house arrest rather than in a conventional prison, subject to Ecuadorian law and further judicial arrangements.
The former president governed Ecuador from August 1996 to February 1997 before Congress removed him from office, citing incapacity. He later spent years in exile in Panama before returning to Ecuador and has remained a controversial figure in the country’s political life.
The COVID-19 case had faced repeated delays and earlier legal setbacks, including the dismissal of charges at one stage before prosecutors successfully pursued further proceedings. Wednesday’s judgment marks one of the most significant criminal convictions involving Bucaram after decades in Ecuadorian politics.
The defendants may still pursue available legal challenges against the convictions and sentences as the case moves into its next stage.
