Jorge Glas

Jorge David Glas Espinel (born 13 September 1969) is an Ecuadorean politician and electrical engineer. He has been Vice President of Ecuador from 24 May 2013 until his resignation on 13 December 2017.

Personal life
Jorge Glas was born 13 September 1969 in Guayaquil. He has known and been friends with president Rafael Correa since their time as boy scouts. 

Education
He holds a degree in electrical engineering from the ESPOL which he obtained on 22 September 2008.  On 3 January 2013 Jorge Glas was reported to the police for plagiarism of his thesis. He was reported by Galo Lara, a member of the rival Patriotic Society Party. The thesis was reviewed by Genove Gneco, a professor from the Dominican Republic, who investigated the thesis and found 35% of it to be suspected plagiarism.  An investigation by a commission set up by ESPOL found Glas not guilty of plagiarism. Glas however recognized that he should have cited his sources better. 

Political career
Since 2007 Glas has held several political appointments in the government of Rafael Correa. He was General Manager of the now shut down Solidarity Fund between 2007 and 2009. He was also the President of the National Telecomunications Council.

Afterwards Glas was Minister of Telecommunications. He directed the joining together  of Andinatel S.A. and Pacifitel S.A. into a single company, the National Corporation of Telecommunications, a corporation that he became the first chairperson of. 

As Coordinating Minister of Strategic Sectors he was responsible for the building of several hydroelectric power plants the he had to borrowed money from Chinese banks to build.

Vice Presidency
Glas started his time as Vice President on 24 May 2013.

On 4 August 2017, Glas was suspended of his duties as Vice President due to corruption. He resigned from the office on 13 December 2017. He was replaced by Urban Minister María Vicuña.

Arrest
In December 2023 Glas entered the Mexican embassy in Quito and asked for political asylum, arguing he was being politically persecuted.

On 5 April 2024, he was arrested by Ecuadorian police after they raided the Mexican embassy in Quito. After this incident, Mexico ended diplomatic relations with Ecuador. On 6 April 2024, Nicaragua broke ties with Ecuador in solidarity with Mexico. On 9 April, prison authorities said that Glas had been hospitalized in the Guayaquil naval hospital after not eating for 24 hours, adding that his condition was stable. On January 5, 2025, Jorge Glas was evacuated from La Roca prison in Guayaquil, after an alleged assassination attempt against him.

References

Category:1969 births
Category:Living people
Category:Politicians from Guayaquil
Category:Vice presidents of Ecuador
Category:Government ministers
Category:Ecuadorian engineers
Category:Electrical engineers