Ecuador Recalls Ambassador After Colombia Defends Jorge Glas
Is Jorge Glas a corrupt official facing justice or a political prisoner whose life is at risk?
Above: Former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas arrives for a hearing at the National Court of Justice in Quito, Ecuador, on June 30, 2025. Image credit: Rodrigo Buendia/AFP/Getty Images
The Spin
Right narrative
Jorge Glas is no political prisoner — he's a convicted official who must answer for his rank corruption in the Odebrecht scandal, as well as other bribery and embezzlement cases. To describe Glas in terms designed to paint him as the victim fabricates a false narrative that shields him from accountability and interferes with the pursuit of justice.
Left narrative
It is abundantly clear that Jorge Glas is being held as a political prisoner to the detriment of his health, as he continues to suffer from severe malnutrition. The Ecuadorian government's decision to allow him to starve away is a shameful crime against humanity, one that demands the urgent intervention of international human rights organizations.
