Ecuador minister alleges public company spied via surveillance systems

Ecuador's Interior Minister John Reimberg has accused a Guayaquil municipal company, Segura EP, of misusing public funds to install surveillance infrastructure that allegedly spied on citizens. Reimberg detailed the alleged operation on social media, claiming a "mirror room" was set up within the Guayaquil Municipality's offices in November 2024.

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the infrastructure functioned as a “mirror room” within the offices of the Municipality of Guayaquil

According to Reimberg, this setup provided privileged access to the city's video surveillance systems. He stated that the infrastructure was established through a formal request via institutional email and connected to monitoring systems via a private data link installed in 2024. The minister linked this operation to decisions made during the administration of Segura EP, specifically mentioning Fernando Cornejo, who was then chairman of its board.

Reimberg further alleged that Franklin Asqui was granted administrator-level access, enabling him to view live camera feeds, manipulate PTZ equipment, download historical recordings, install software, and access georeferenced data from the entire surveillance network. The minister criticized this as a grave misuse of public resources, suggesting the capabilities were diverted from their intended purpose of enhancing citizen security to accumulating political power and information.

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the access was granted to Franklin Asqui with an administrator profile

The minister questioned the impact of such political practices on Guayaquil and the cost associated with these methods. He highlighted that the company, funded by Guayaquil residents, should have focused on public safety rather than engaging in activities that he framed as political manipulation.

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grave the alleged use of infrastructure financed with public resources for objectives other than the citizen's interest