Ecuadorian authorities have taken into custody the mayor of Guayaquil, the nation’s largest port city, on serious charges of money laundering and tax evasion. The arrest of Mayor Aquiles Álvarez on Tuesday marks a significant development in the country’s ongoing anti-corruption efforts.
Prosecutors confirmed that ten additional individuals were detained in connection with the case, including Xavier Álvarez, the mayor’s brother who serves as president of a prominent local soccer club. During coordinated raids in Guayaquil, law enforcement officials seized substantial evidence including electronic devices and significant amounts of cash.
The arrest has sparked allegations of political motivation from the mayor’s defense team. Attorney Ramiro Garcia publicly stated that he had not received proper documentation of the case against his client, characterizing the proceedings as potential ‘political persecution.’
Complicating matters, authorities noted that Álvarez was not wearing a court-ordered ankle monitor at the time of his detention, which had been mandated in a separate investigation regarding alleged illegal sales of subsidized gasoline. The mayor has consistently denied all corruption allegations against him.
Álvarez, a 41-year-old former business owner whose company operates gas stations and distributes fuel in Guayaquil, represents the Citizen’s Revolution party led by exiled former President Rafael Correa. Elected to a four-year term in 2023, his arrest occurs against the backdrop of escalating violence in Ecuador, where murder rates have increased fivefold since 2020 as international drug cartels battle for control of the country’s strategic ports.