Ecuador Court Upholds Three-Year Prison Sentence for Guayaquil Mayor Aquiles Alvarez
Quito, September 17, 2026: An appeals court in Ecuador has upheld a three-year prison sentence against Guayaquil Mayor Aquiles Alvarez, rejecting his challenge to a conviction related to the removal or non-use of an electronic monitoring device ordered by a court. The ruling was issued on September 16.
The case, known as the “Grillete” case, stems from a judicial order requiring Alvarez to wear an electronic ankle monitor as an alternative precautionary measure while another criminal investigation was underway.
A provincial court in Guayas rejected the appeal filed by Alvarez’s legal team and confirmed the original three-year sentence for failure to comply with a legitimate decision of a competent authority.
The original conviction was handed down in August. In addition to the prison term, the court ordered Alvarez to pay a fine equivalent to 10 basic monthly salaries, or about US$4,820, issue a public apology and publish the operative portion of the judgment in a national newspaper.
According to prosecutors, authorities discovered during a February 2026 operation that Alvarez was not wearing the electronic monitoring device that had been ordered by the court. Prosecutors argued that the device had generated numerous alerts, including indications that it had been removed or was offline.
Alvarez has disputed the prosecution’s account. His defense argued that the evidence did not establish the alleged conduct to the required legal standard and raised objections concerning the circumstances surrounding the monitoring device.
The appeals hearing took place on September 16. After hearing arguments from both sides, the court suspended proceedings to deliberate and later reconvened to announce its decision. The judges ultimately confirmed the original sentence.
Alvarez remains detained at El Encuentro maximum-security prison in Santa Elena. His lawyer has indicated that the defense is considering a further appeal through Ecuador’s available legal procedures.
The mayor is also involved in other judicial proceedings. In the separate Triple A case concerning alleged illegal fuel-related activities, he has received a first-instance prison sentence. Another investigation, known as Goleada, concerns allegations of money laundering and remains separate from the Grillete case.
The latest ruling therefore concerns only the Grillete case and represents the outcome of the appeal stage described in the September 16 decision.
