Augusto Verduga and the Ligados Case: Digital Evidence and Political Questions

The Ligados Case, an investigation into alleged illicit association, has placed former Citizen Participation Council (CPCCS) member Augusto Verduga at the center of Ecuador’s political and judicial debate. The Attorney General's Office submitted a 249-page forensic report containing transcriptions of audios extracted from Verduga's phones, seized during a court-authorized raid in January 2025. These procedures followed the legally established chain of custody, according to public records.

However, doubts have emerged regarding the integrity of that chain of custody. In a televised interview on March 18, 2025, President Daniel Noboa announced that new revelations from “Verduga’s chats” would be released soon. Legal analysts interpreted this as possible interference from the Executive in a judicial investigation, raising concerns over political manipulation and the erosion of judicial independence.

The recorded conversations do not explicitly name speakers, though one male voice is referred to as “Augusto.” The longest audio, dated October 7, 2023, discusses matters related to CPCCS internal decisions.

Political Links in the Evidence

Among the materials presented by the Attorney General’s Office are chats and audios that allegedly show coordination to influence CPCCS decisions, including the selection of the Superintendent of Banks. Some of these conversations mention Andrés Arauz, former presidential candidate and current executive secretary of the Citizen Revolution, and other political figures.

Arauz responded publicly, asserting that the complaint stemmed from a tweet he posted in solidarity:

“They reported me over a tweet. They accuse me of illicit association. The prosecutor said I wanted to ‘take over the State’.”

Esther Cuesta, a former RC assembly member, was also named in the case, though with significantly less public visibility.

Prosecutorial Transition and Diplomatic Appointment

On May 20, 2025, Attorney General Diana Salazar resigned from her post. The National Assembly accepted her resignation on May 21. That same day, President Noboa appointed her as Ecuador’s ambassador to Argentina via Executive Decree 634.

The decree explicitly states that Argentina had granted its approval (beneplácito) for her appointment on January 29, 2024 — more than a year before her resignation. This has intensified criticism over the appointment’s timing and reinforced perceptions that the Attorney General’s Office may have operated under political coordination with the Executive.

The Ligados Case remains open. Beyond individual indictments, it has triggered a broader national debate over the use of the criminal justice system, the independence of oversight bodies, and the tension between legality and political expediency.