Ecuador’s ‘Metastasis’ Case Exposes Deep Corruption

Emerson Curipallo, an Ecuadorian judge who was responsible for the release of Jorge Glas and two trusted hitmen of Leandro Norero, a notorious drug lord and close ally to Los Lobos whose death kick-started an intense investigation into corruption within Ecuador's high government, was convicted for corruption on Tuesday. The judge was ultimately sentenced to 40 months in prison and was ordered to pay a total of $16,560 USD in reparations alongside $200,000 USD received as a bribe after taking a plea deal that significantly shortened the trial..A Judge Convicted.This conviction is part of an anti-corruption probe launched by Ecuador's Attorney General, Diana Salazar, known as the 'Metastasis Case,' and has already resulted in several expedited convictions following plea deals with those accused. Curipallo worked alongside Cristian Romero, an accused ringleader of the criminal structure operated by Norero, who is currently in court proceedings with the Ecuadorian government for his supposed role. Salazar presented evidence in the form of online chats on Threema, a Swiss-hosted messaging platform that utilizes end-to-end encryption for users' security..These chats were discovered on Norero's after his murder at Cotopaxi prison in October 2022, which led to the case being launched. In these chats, Romero bragged to Norero that he controlled the outcome of court cases due to his working relationship with Curipallo. This control ultimately led to the release of two hitmen under the employ of Norero by the aliases of Madrid and Cuyuyuy in exchange for $200,00 USD. The judge also facilitated the release of several other convicted criminals, including former Vice President Jorge Glas, who previously attempted to flee the country by sheltering in the Mexican Embassy in Quito, Ecuador's capital..This flight ultimately led to a controversial raid on the Mexican embassy by Ecuadorian authorities following accusations Mexican officials sought to smuggle Glas out of the country on a Mexican plane intended to transport Mexico's ambassador. Since the raid, Mexico has filed a court case with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in order to establish provisional measures and ensure consequences to the embassy raid. The case is currently ongoing, although provisional measures were rejected by the court in May..The Metastasis Case.The Metastasis Case originally began in 2022 following the murder of Norero, with arrests being made in December 2023. Investigators searched Norero's phone, discovering evidence of high-ranking state officials cooperating with Norero while handing out favors in exchange for money, gold, prostitutes, apartments, and other luxuries. The sweeping anti-corruption investigation has shaken Ecuador to its core, with numerous other investigations being launched to investigate further cases of corruption within Ecuador's upper echelon. Among these cases is the "Purge Case," a case that focuses on corruption within Ecuador's legal system and resulted in the arrest of 12 individuals believed to have worked alongside criminals..Some have suggested the case was the catalyst for the country's ongoing security crisis, which erupted in January 2024. This theory largely revolves around Salazar's statement that the investigation would lead to "an escalation of violence" from criminal organizations. Others theorize that the outbreak of violence in Ecuador resulted from the escape of the notorious leader of Los Choneros, Jose "Fito" Macias, in January 2024..After Fito's escape, President Daniel Noboa declared a national state of emergency, mobilizing the military and establishing a curfew in order to hunt down the wanted criminal. Following the escape and subsequent mobilization, riots broke out in prisons located in El Oro, Loja, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, Azuay, and Pichincha, where 177 prison guards were taken hostage by prisoners. Ecuadorian police freed those held captive in late January. After the outbreak of violence, President Noboa issued a presidential decree that recognized "the existence of an internal armed conflict," classifying the gangs as terrorist organizations..Since then, Ecuadorian authorities have stepped up their operations in an effort to address the country's abysmal security situation, launching international raids against criminal elements and capturing key leaders of the alliance of gangs known as "Second Generation," which reportedly enjoys support from Mexico's Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) as well as Los Choneros, which is allegedly supported by the Mexican Sinaloa Cartel..Ecuador is no longer seeking the arrest of Fito alone. On Thursday, International Police (INTERPOL) issued a red notice for the escaped convict after months of the escaped convict evading capture by authorities. This notice allows further cooperation between INTERPOL and local authorities in regards to the capture of Fito, who many believe fled Ecuador for shelter in a foreign nation following the discovery of Fito's family and close lieutenants' arrival in Argentina days prior to his escape..While security crackdowns are targeting gangs and narcotics, the successful sentencing of a suspect in Ecuador's Metastasis Case showcases the country's continued efforts to also address organized crime and criminal organizations' ties to high-level officials within Ecuador's government. And it isn't just Ecuador's problem—between January and February 2024, Ecuador received visits by the commander of the United States Southern Command, the deputy assistant secretary of the Office of Counternarcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, the US special presidential advisor for the Americas, and mayors of a number of European cities that have been top destinations for the cocaine that transits Ecuador. For Ecuador to win its fight against corruption, drug trafficking, and organized crime, it needs to facilitate commitments with the international community.