Rafael Correa governed Ecuador between 2007 and 2017 and has lived in Belgium since leaving power. He is the only former president in the region with a final corruption conviction that no State has managed to enforce. The National Court of Justice sentenced him in absentia to eight years for bribery in April 2020. Belgium, where he lives with his family, has not handed him over. A second proceeding, over the kidnapping of an opponent in Bogotá, has been suspended since 2018. This piece follows the case from that border. It separates what Ecuadorian justice decided, what it has been unable to enforce and what remains an investigation without charges.
The short answer. Rafael Correa has a final conviction and has not spent a single day in prison. The National Court of Justice sentenced him to eight years for bribery on 7 April 2020 and upheld the sentence on 20 July that year. The ruling includes a 25-year political ban. Moreover, it was handed down in absentia because he has lived in Belgium since 2017. A second proceeding, over the kidnapping of Fernando Balda, has been suspended since 2018. The investigations opened in 2025 and 2026 have no charges. Correa calls all of it political persecution.
Who Rafael Correa is and why his case matters in October 2026
Correa was the longest-serving president in Ecuador’s recent history. He governed for a decade with the Alianza País movement. He left power in May 2017 and settled in Belgium, his wife’s country. From there he continues to lead the opposition, today under the name Revolución Ciudadana.
His case matters for this series because of a difference from the other convicted figures. Jorge Glas, his vice president, is serving the same sentence in prison. Correa, convicted in the same case, is not. The distance between them lies not in the ruling, but in the border. Auditoría Abierta places his case in the verified list of convicted former presidents in the region.
Timeline of the Correa case, decision by decision
| Date | Body | Decision | Evidence level |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 2012 | Senain agents and collaborators | Kidnapping for hours of Fernando Balda in Bogotá | Proven; perpetrators convicted |
| 2011-2012 | Guayaquil judge | Sentences Emilio Palacio and El Universo executives to 3 years and US$40 million over Correa’s lawsuit; Correa «pardons» them in February 2012 | Final, later set aside by the Inter-American Court |
| May 2017 | Correa | Leaves the presidency and settles in Belgium | Proven |
| November 2018 | Judge Daniella Camacho, National Court | Commits Correa and three former officials to trial over the Balda case; pre-trial detention | Committal to trial |
| 7 April 2020 | Criminal Tribunal of the National Court | 8 years for aggravated bribery in Sobornos 2012-2016; 25-year disqualification | Conviction in absentia |
| 20 July 2020 | National Court of Justice | Upholds the conviction and rejects most appeals | Final |
| 13 August 2020 | National Court of Justice | 9 years for Pablo Romero, former head of Senain, as indirect perpetrator of Balda’s kidnapping | Final |
| December 2021 | Inter-American Court of Human Rights | Ecuador violated freedom of expression in the El Universo case; orders the conviction set aside | Final |
| November 2022 | UN Human Rights Committee | Ecuador violated the rights of El Universo’s executives | Opinion |
| October 2025 | Prosecutors | Open a confidential laundering investigation, the Caja Chica case | Preliminary investigation |
| 28 January 2026 | Prosecutors | Raids in Pichincha and Guayas; Correa among eight suspects | No charges |
| March 2026 | Electoral Disputes Tribunal | Suspends Revolución Ciudadana for nine months | Sanction on the party |
| 22 June 2026 | Minister of Government | Complaint over an alleged espionage network using Segura EP cameras | Complaint without charges |
2020: the Sobornos conviction and its confirmation
On 7 April 2020, the Criminal Tribunal of the National Court of Justice sentenced Correa to eight years in prison, according to Reuters. The offence: aggravated bribery. Judges Iván León, Iván Saquicela and Marco Rodríguez concluded that he led a hierarchical structure. That structure received US$7.5 million in «improper contributions» at the Carondelet Palace, according to the World Compliance Association. The money irregularly financed Alianza País in exchange for state contracts, including with Odebrecht. Jorge Glas and 18 other people fell in the same case, according to CNN Chile.
On 20 July 2020, the National Court upheld the conviction after two weeks of deliberation, according to France 24. The ruling includes a 25-year ban from public office, according to El Heraldo. In practice, Correa cannot run for anything in Ecuador until 2045. The entire proceedings were conducted in absentia. Correa called it «political persecution» and remained in Belgium.
Why the sentence has not been enforced
This is the central question of the file. Ecuador has a final ruling, but it does not have the convicted man. Correa lives in Belgium, where he obtained asylum, and that country has not handed him over. The sources consulted record no extradition granted and no enforcement procedure in Belgium. In 2023, a group of US senators, including Bill Cassidy and Jim Risch, asked the Biden administration to hold Correa accountable, according to a letter published by Cassidy’s office. No result is on record either. The conviction exists, but its enforcement depends on a foreign decision that has not come.
2018: the Balda case, a trial suspended for eight years
In August 2012, a squad kidnapped opposition figure Fernando Balda for several hours in Bogotá, where he had taken refuge. They beat him, threatened to kill him and abandoned him on a public road, according to Perfil. The investigation concluded that the kidnappers acted with agents of Senain, the presidential intelligence service. In November 2018, Judge Daniella Camacho committed Correa and three former officials to trial after assessing 44 items of evidence, according to Plan V and El Tiempo. She spoke of «a hierarchical chain of command» with Correa at the top and ordered his pre-trial detention, according to El Universo.
Since then, the trial against Correa has been on hold. According to El Universo, as of March 2025 his responsibility remained unresolved. By contrast, the lower links do have a ruling. On 13 August 2020, a court unanimously sentenced Pablo Romero, former Secretary of Intelligence, to nine years as indirect perpetrator, according to El Universo. Likewise, two former agents, Raúl Chicaiza and Jéssica Falcón, received reduced sentences in 2019 for effective cooperation. A necessary distinction applies here. Romero is convicted. Correa has been committed to trial, with no verdict.
2021: the Inter-American Court and the El Universo case
The third front is not an accusation against Correa, but a ruling against the State over an action of his. In 2011, Correa filed a defamation lawsuit against columnist Emilio Palacio and three executives of El Universo over the article «No to lies». On 20 July 2011, a judge sentenced them to three years in prison and to pay US$40 million, according to GK. In February 2012, with appeals exhausted, Correa announced his «pardon» and the case was closed.
In December 2021, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights declared Ecuador internationally responsible, according to Primicias. It concluded that the State violated the freedom of expression and judicial guarantees of those convicted. It ordered the conviction set aside and compensation paid, according to CNN. In November 2022, the UN Human Rights Committee reached a similar conclusion regarding the sanctions of the Superintendency of Communication, according to El Universo.
2025-2026: three investigations without charges
Three recent matters mention Correa and none has charges filed. The first is the Caja Chica case. In October 2025, prosecutors opened a confidential investigation into alleged money laundering. The hypothesis: cash from Venezuela for Revolución Ciudadana’s 2023 campaign. On 28 January 2026 there were raids in Pichincha and Guayas, according to Primicias. Correa heads the list of eight suspects, alongside Luisa González and Andrés Arauz. In March 2026, the Electoral Disputes Tribunal suspended the party for nine months, according to Primicias and Vistazo. As of May 2026 there were no charges against Correa.
The second is the assassination of Fernando Villavicencio. At the hearing of 3 September 2025, prosecutors presented an FBI recording. In it, a hitman who was later killed says the job was «for the one at the top» and identifies him with Correa, according to Expreso. The judge warned prosecutors against conjecture, according to Infobae. Correa is not a defendant in that case. The third is the complaint of 22 June 2026 by minister Nataly Morillo over an alleged espionage network using Segura EP cameras, according to Vistazo. It rests on leaked audio recordings. It is at the investigation stage.
What Correa says and what his accusers say
Since 2017 Correa has maintained that all the proceedings are political persecution, and he repeats it with every new investigation. He rejected the espionage complaint and criticised the Government, according to Expreso. The National Court of Justice, by contrast, found him the leader of the bribery structure and upheld the sentence. Prosecutors name him as the head of the chain of command in the Balda case. Fernando Balda described Romero’s conviction as «the link» connecting the perpetrators to Correa. However, one fact qualifies the picture. In 2025, prosecutor Consuelo Montañez received an eight-year sentence for manipulating information in the Balda case, according to El Universo. She did so to favour the kidnappers.
How to read this case file
Three keys. First: the 2020 conviction is final and no national or international court has annulled it. That it is not enforced does not erase it. Second: the Inter-American Court ruled against Ecuador in the El Universo case, not for or against Correa in his criminal cases. Third: Caja Chica, Villavicencio and the espionage complaint are investigations or mentions without charges. They must be read as background. To compare with a former president who was extradited and sentenced, Bajo Lupa publishes the case file of Alejandro Toledo.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Has Rafael Correa been convicted?
Yes. The National Court of Justice sentenced him on 7 April 2020 to eight years in prison for aggravated bribery in the Sobornos 2012-2016 case. The Court upheld the sentence on 20 July 2020. It also includes a 25-year political ban. It was handed down in absentia.
Why is Correa not in prison?
Because he has lived in Belgium since 2017 and that country has not handed him over to Ecuador. The sources consulted record no extradition granted. The conviction is final, but it has not been enforced.
Can Correa run for office again?
Not in Ecuador. The 2020 ruling bars him from public office for 25 years. In addition, the Electoral Disputes Tribunal suspended his party, Revolución Ciudadana, for nine months in March 2026 over the Caja Chica case.
What is the Balda case?
The kidnapping for several hours of opposition figure Fernando Balda in Bogotá in August 2012, carried out with Ecuadorian intelligence agents. A judge committed Correa to trial in November 2018 as the head of the chain of command. The trial against him is suspended. By contrast, his former intelligence chief, Pablo Romero, received a nine-year sentence in 2020.
What did the Inter-American Court decide about Correa?
It ruled against the Ecuadorian State, not against Correa. In December 2021 it declared that Ecuador violated freedom of expression by convicting Emilio Palacio and the executives of El Universo over a lawsuit by Correa. It ordered that conviction annulled and the victims compensated.
What is the Caja Chica case?
A confidential preliminary investigation opened in October 2025 into alleged money laundering. The hypothesis is that cash came in from Venezuela for the 2023 campaign. Correa is one of eight suspects. As of May 2026 no charges had been filed against him.
Is Correa accused over the Villavicencio assassination?
No. In September 2025 prosecutors presented an FBI recording in which a hitman mentions him, but Correa is not a defendant in that case and denies any link. The judge asked prosecutors not to engage in conjecture.
What happened to Jorge Glas’s conviction in the same case?
Glas received the same eight years in Sobornos 2012-2016 and is serving the sentence in prison in Ecuador. That is the central difference from Correa: same ruling, different enforcement.
Sources consulted
- Reuters / Yahoo: Ecuador’s former president found guilty of corruption (2020)
- World Compliance Association: Correa, Glas y otros sentenciados a 8 años (2020)
- CNN Chile: Correa condenado a 8 años de prisión (2020)
- France 24: Justicia ecuatoriana ratifica condena de 8 años (20 July 2020)
- El Heraldo: Correa condenado a 8 años y pierde derechos políticos (2020)
- Office of Senator Bill Cassidy: letter on Correa (2023)
- Perfil: El secuestro que llevó a Correa a las puertas de la cárcel
- Plan V: Caso Balda, las pruebas documentales contra Correa (2018)
- El Tiempo: Llaman a juicio a Correa por secuestro de Fernando Balda (2018)
- El Universo: Correa es llamado a juicio en el caso Balda (2018)
- El Universo: Fiscal condenada por manipular pruebas en caso Balda (2025)
- El Universo: Pablo Romero condenado a 9 años por el secuestro de Balda (2020)
- GK: El caso El Universo, explicado (2021)
- Primicias: Emilio Palacio reacciona a la sentencia de la Corte IDH (2021)
- CNN en Español: La Corte Interamericana responsabiliza al Estado ecuatoriano en el caso El Universo (2021)
- El Universo: Comité de Derechos Humanos de la ONU ordena reparación a directivos de El Universo (2022)
- Primicias: Estos son los ocho correístas investigados en el caso Caja Chica (2026)
- Primicias: Revolución Ciudadana pide levantar reserva del caso Caja Chica (2026)
- Vistazo: Luisa González busca la Prefectura de Manabí pese a suspensión de RC (2026)
- Expreso: ¿Por qué la Fiscalía relaciona a Rafael Correa con el caso Villavicencio? (2025)
- Infobae: Sicario de Villavicencio declaró ante el FBI, según la Fiscalía (2025)
- Primicias: Juez declara validez procesal en el caso Villavicencio (2026)
- Vistazo: Gobierno denuncia a Rafael Correa por presunto espionaje con cámaras de Segura EP (2026)
- Expreso: Denuncia contra Rafael Correa por presunto espionaje, reacciones (2026)
This piece records documented facts and allegations attributed to their authors. The mention of an allegation does not imply its truth, and the position of the person named is recorded in each case. Bajo Lupa Digital offers Rafael Correa space to respond and will update the text with every development. Information verified as of 8 October 2026.
Investigative Journalist and Case File Analyst
Abati Preciado Ruelas is an investigative journalist specializing in the scrutiny of judicial proceedings, the coverage of regulatory frameworks, and the analysis of the administration of justice in Latin America. His career is distinguished by a firm commitment to institutional oversight, examining legal case files, court rulings, and public records to accurately document the exercise of power.
At Bajo Lupa Digital, he is part of the investigative team tasked with untangling legal controversies and high-impact political cases. His journalistic approach prioritizes analytical sobriety, rigorous respect for due process, and the exhaustive cross-referencing of primary sources, providing citizens with a documented perspective free from partisan biases.