Guayaquil Mayor Aquiles Álvarez Testifies in Triple A Corruption Trial

Mayor Aquiles Álvarez of Guayaquil appeared via teleconference on 26 July 2026 to give a more than two‑hour testimony in the so‑called Triple A case. Álvarez argued that the criminal proceedings against him lacked technical merit and were driven by political motives, claiming the case was named after his own initials – “Aquiles Álvarez Alcalde”.

He said the original complainant, former ARCH official Nicole Bermúdez Peña, was absent and that she had been pressured by former legal coordinator José Manuel de Oliveira, who in turn acted on instructions from ex‑secretary José Julio Neira. Álvarez denied personal involvement in fuel trafficking, describing his companies as intermediaries that merely transport fuel from Petroecuador to service stations, and asserted that all operations of Copedesa were legally licensed. He also challenged the prosecution’s forensic reports, calling them inconclusive.

The court will now deliberate before issuing a first‑instance judgment.