The Tribunal of the National Court of Justice of Ecuador has handed a 13-year prison sentence to former Vice President Jorge Glas on charges of embezzlement, relating to the misappropriation of public funds designated for earthquake reconstruction efforts. The court's decision also implicated Carlos Bernal, former technical secretary of the Committee for Reconstruction and Productive Reactivation, who received an identical sentence.

Presiding judges Mercedes Caicedo, Marco Rodríguez Ruiz, and Javier de la Cadena found Glas and Bernal guilty of diverting funds from the Solidarity Law, which were intended to aid victims of the devastating April 16, 2016 earthquake. The quake claimed 663 lives and injured over 6,000, wreaking havoc primarily in the coastal province of Manabí. The region's recovery has been significantly hampered by the misused funds.

In addition to their prison terms, both Glas and Bernal were ordered to pay a fine equivalent to 60 basic salaries and make a reparatory payment of $250 million for material and non-material damages. The court further mandated that both men must publicly apologize, declaring on national broadcast that, "Corruption is not just a crime, it is a betrayal of the people’s trust."

Prosecution led by State Attorney General Wilson Toainga presented compelling evidence, including approvals of several unauthorized projects under the guise of the earthquake relief efforts, some of which were linked to Concrenor, a company owned by relatives of Carlos Bernal.

This sentencing adds another layer to Glas's troubled legal history, as he was already incarcerated at La Roca maximum security prison for his involvement in the 2017 Odebrecht scandal. The case has seen international ramifications, including strained diplomatic relations between Ecuador and Mexico following Glas's contested arrest at the Mexican embassy in Ecuador, leading to a case before the International Court of Justice.

As this is a first-instance judgment, both Glas and Bernal have the option to appeal the sentence. The global community and local Ecuadorians, particularly those still suffering in the aftermath of the earthquake, watch closely as this high-profile case unfolds, awaiting justice and hoping for closure in the relentless fight against corruption.