Lenin Moreno

Lenin Moreno, the 73-year-old former president of Ecuador, has recently been convicted of bribery by an Ecuadorian court. The conviction is linked to a US$76 million bribery scheme involving contracts for the country's largest hydroelectric project, which was secured by a Chinese state company. As a result of the conviction, Moreno has been sentenced to five years in prison and permanently barred from holding public office. He and a former Chinese ambassador to Quito are now seeking to avoid jail time by appealing to the country's highest court. This news makes Moreno newsworthy due to his recent legal troubles and conviction, highlighting potential corruption issues during his presidency and his current efforts to overturn the sentence.