The authorities in Ecuador have disclosed the identity of Rubén Cherres as a person connected to ongoing allegations surrounding the administration of President Guillermo Lasso. Cherres was killed in a violent assault at a spa in Punta Blanca, located in the Santa Elena province, during a morning incident on a Friday. Local security forces report that armed individuals stormed the spa, resulting in the deaths of three men and a woman, with Cherres among the deceased after a gunfight.
Interior Minister Juan Zapata confirmed Cherres’s identity and stated that the police are employing all available technical and operational measures to determine the perpetrators and uncover the motives behind the attack. The government is signaling a comprehensive investigation as officials seek to map the sequence of events and the people involved.
Cherres, aged 63, has been associated with the so-called Gran Padrino case, a broad inquiry into a conspiracy that allegedly connected to beneficiaries in the supply chain for the Electricity Authority of Ecuador and its successor entities, Nacional de Electricidad. The case is described as involving individuals linked to various suppliers, and it has drawn connections to the political circle around President Lasso through familial and business networks.
Media coverage points to alleged links between Cherres and a network described as having ties to organized crime groups that span international borders. Reports from investigative outlets have pointed to audio material suggesting discussions around payments in exchange for influence over political appointments, including a high-profile appointment within the agricultural sector. One such appointment involved the agriculture minister, who later faced questions about the process by which the nomination was advanced. The minister has publicly denied these implications, emphasizing that official procedures were followed and that any allegations require careful verification by investigators.