QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — The former vice president of Ecuador who was detained last year during a highly criticized police raid on Mexico’s embassy in the South American country was sentenced Monday to 13 years in prison.
Jorge Glas had been accused of misusing public funds intended for the reconstruction of two provinces affected by an earthquake in 2016. The quake devastated communities and killed hundreds of people.
Glas became vice president in 2013, during the presidency of Rafael Correa, and was removed from that position in January 2018, when he was charged in a corruption case tied to the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht.
Judge Mercedes Caicedo said the funds for reconstruction efforts following the earthquake were allocated to “useless, unusable and unnecessary buildings” disregarding the law, and above all, “with complete disrespect for the victims.”
The court also barred Glas from ever holding public office and fined him $28,800.
Glas is already in a maximum-security prison serving time in two other corruption cases. He was detained in April 2024 when police stormed Mexico’s embassy in Ecuador’s capital, Quito, hours after he had been granted asylum.
The embassy raid sparked outrage among world leaders, who criticized Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa.
Diplomatic premises are considered foreign soil and “inviolable” under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, and host country law enforcement agencies are not allowed to enter without the permission of the ambassador.
Ecuador’s government defended the arrest, arguing that Glas was a fugitive wanted in corruption cases, not for political reasons, and therefore was not eligible for Mexico’s diplomatic protection.
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Supporters of former Vice President of Ecuador Jorge Glas gather outside court where he attends his sentencing after he was convicted of embezzlement during his oversight of earthquake reconstruction in Quito, Ecuador, Monday, June 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)
Former Vice President of Ecuador Jorge Glas enters court for his sentencing after he was convicted of embezzlement during his oversight of earthquake reconstruction in Quito, Ecuador, Monday, June 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)
Former Vice President of Ecuador Jorge Glas enters court for his sentencing after he was convicted of embezzlement during his oversight of earthquake reconstruction in Quito, Ecuador, Monday, June 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)
SYDNEY (AP) — Coco Gauff beat No. 2-ranked Iga Świątek 6-4, 6-2 to force a mixed-doubles match to decide the United Cup semifinal between the United States and Poland on Saturday.
Fourth-ranked Gauff, the French Open champion, evened the matchup at 1-1 at the team event after Hubert Hurkacz beat Taylor Fritz 7-6 (1), 7-6 (2) in the singles opener at Ken Rosewall Arena.
The winner will face Switzerland in Sunday’s final.
The Swiss advanced when Belinda Bencic combined with Jakub Paul in the deciding mixed doubles to defeat Belgium’s Elise Mertens and Zizou Bergs 6-3, 0-6, 10-5.
Bencic has won all four of her singles matches and four in mixed doubles this week in the team event. Paul, who won just six tour-level doubles matches last year, hit several down-the-line winners at crucial moments to lead Switzerland into the final.
“He’s so brave it’s unbelievable,” Bencic said of Paul. “I tell him to go (for it) and he actually goes. It’s crazy."
Earlier, Bencic extended her undefeated season-opening singles streak when she beat Mertens 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (0) to put Switzerland ahead 1-0. But Stan Wawrinka, who will retire at the end of this season, was beaten 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-3 by Bergs to send the match to a mixed doubles decider at Ken Rosewall Arena.
The turning point in the Wawrinka-Bergs match came in the eighth game of the third set when Bergs broke Wawrinka’s serve to go up 5-3, then held serve to win the match.
Tournament organizers started play 30 minutes earlier than scheduled with searing temperatures of up to 43 Celsius (109 Fahrenheit) in the forecast for Sydney.
Bencic had won all six sets in her first three matches at the United Cup. She was two games away from another two-set win before Mertens pushed the match the distance.
Then Mertens came from 3-1 down in the third set, saved a pair of break points that would have given Bencic a 4-1 lead, and was two points away from the set win with Bencic serving at 30-30, down 6-5.
But Bencic won the last nine points of the match following a decision to change her racket to a freshly-strung one, taking the match in 2 hours, 37 minutes.
“It feels like 170 kilos fell off my shoulders — I was so stressed; I really wanted to do well, and today I felt so much pressure to not let my team down,” Bencic said.
On the racket change, she said: “My brain turned off and let my instincts take over. I think it was just a feeling."
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Iga Swiatek of Poland hits a backhand to Coco Gauff of the U.S. during their semifinal match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Iga Swiatek of Poland hits a forehand to Coco Gauff of the U.S. during their semifinal match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Coco Gauff of the U.S. waits to return serve from Iga Swiatek of Poland during their semifinal match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Coco Gauff of the U.S. hits a forehand to Iga Swiatek of Poland during their semifinal match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Belinda Bencic, left, and Jakub Paul of Switzerland celebrate winning a point against Alise Mertens and Zizou Bergs of Belgium during their semifinal doubles match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Zizou Bergs of Belgium hits a backhand to Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland during their semifinal match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Zizou Bergs of Belgium, right, Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland shake hands after Bergs won their semifinal match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Belinda Bencic, second right, and Jakub Paul, right, of Switzerland shake hands with Alise Mertens, left, and Zizou Bergs of Belgium after Switzerland won their semifinal doubles match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Alise Mertens of Belgium looks up after a rally against Belinda Bencic of Switzerland in their semifinal match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, left and Alise Mertens of Belgium meet at the net after Bencic won their semifinal match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Belinda Bencic of Switzerland celebrates her win over Alise Mertens of Belgium in their semifinal match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, second left, celebrates with teammates after her win over Alise Mertens of Belgium in their semifinal match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
