Aquiles Alvarez, the Mayor of Guayaquil, announced on August 31, 2026, that he will appeal a first-instance sentence of six years and eight months in prison for the illegal commercialization of hydrocarbons in the Triple A case. ^[1] Julio César Cueva, lawyer for Guayaquil Mayor Aquiles Álvarez, announced on 2026-09-01 that the defense will appeal the first-instance sentence in the Triple A case after reviewing the written ruling. ^[2] The court found nine natural persons and six companies guilty in the Triple A case, with Aquiles Alvarez and four others considered direct authors and four others as accomplices. ^[3] The General Prosecutor's Office announced that it will appeal the acquittal of six defendants, including Fausto V., Rosa O., and Gloria S., who were declared innocent by the court. ^[4] The investigation revealed a scheme between 2020 and 2024 to divert 22.7 million gallons of subsidized fuel intended for the automotive sector for commercial sale in other segments, causing a loss of USD 61.5 million. ^[5] Julio César Cueva claimed that the prosecution did not identify any specific tanker where the alleged fuel diversion occurred, and that 22 million gallons would be about 2,300 tankers of 10,000 gallons. ^[6] Julio César Cueva said the $61.5 million damage figure in the Triple A case does not correspond to the approximately 22.7 million gallons of fuel involved, because dividing the amounts yields $2.7 per gallon, which is the fuel price. ^[7]