Quito Municipality faces investigation over alleged political funding scheme

The Quito Municipality is under scrutiny following the opening of the ‘Caso Vqnas’ by the Prosecutor's Office. Investigations focus on allegations of illegal political financing involving Mayor Pabel Muñoz and the Revolución Ciudadana (RC) party.

Citizen collectives and anti-corruption organizations claim that municipal employees were pressured to provide money for political activities, a practice referred to as ‘vacunar’. Investigators have reportedly gathered chats, audio, videos, and testimonies suggesting that the municipal payroll was being used as a source of funds for political campaigns.

The Empresa Metropolitana de Transporte de Pasajeros Quito (Epmtpq) issued a statement regarding the accusations. The entity identified a former official, Carlos Israel Murillo Cañizares, as a subject of internal investigations following reports of misconduct during 2026.