Ecuador judge issues third detention order for Guayaquil mayor

A judge has imposed a third pre-trial detention order on Aquiles Alvarez, the suspended mayor of Guayaquil and a prominent opposition figure to President Daniel Noboa. Alvarez has been held in a maximum-security prison since February.

The latest order stems from the 'Goleada' case, where Alvarez and his brothers, Antonio and Xavier Alvarez, are being investigated for money laundering. Antonio Alvarez, who is also president of Barcelona SC, Ecuador's most popular football club, will also be subject to pre-trial detention. This marks a revocation of their conditional release granted on April 2.

The prosecution's request for the new order was based on the testimony of the case's whistleblower, who reported alleged irregular financial movements connected to companies represented by the Alvarez brothers. The investigation also examines a supposed increase in capital for companies linked to the defendants, potentially related to the alleged laundering of funds from contraband subsidized fuels through their gas station network.

Alvarez faces additional charges, including a separate trial for allegedly removing an electronic ankle monitor. He is currently detained at the 'Cárcel del Encuentro,' a prison built in the style of El Salvador's facilities to house organized crime leaders. His lawyer, Ramiro García, has reported that Alvarez has lost significant weight and suffered multiple fainting spells due to the detention conditions.