Sting packs the stadium; AG raids judicial offices in bribery probe; Villavicencio’s daughter blasts slow investigation; Woman arrested with 17 stolen phones

British rock icon Sting played to a full house of almost 20,000 Friday night in Cuenca’s Alejandro Serrano Stadium. The two-hour concert, part of the performer’s 2025 world tour, included such hits as “All my Heart,” “Always on Your Side and “When We Dance.”

Despite the threat of rain, the performance experienced only one brief sprinkle.

Sting performed Friday night in Cuenca.

Born Gordon Matthew Sumner, Sting was bassist and frontman for The Police in the late 1970s and early 1980s until he launched a solo career in 1985. He is listed by Billboard as one of the top five most popular international touring rock artists.

He is the recipient of 17 Grammy awards and a Golden Globe.

In his South American stops, he played earlier in the week in Lima, Peru and performs Sunday in Bogota, Colombia. According to tour managers, he chose Cuenca over Guayaquil and Quito for his Ecuador appearance due to “security concerns.”

AG office raids judicial offices in bribery probe
The Attorney General’s office and National Police carried out a series of raids Thursday and Friday in an investigation of suspected bribery and influence peddling of court officials, including judges. The raids were conducted in Pichincha, Azuay and Bolívar Provinces.

“These searches were conducted by prosecutors for crimes involving attempts to gain illicit judicial benefits and favorable court rulings,” the Attorney General’s office said. The statement continued, saying that at least three prosecutors are suspected of accepting bribes to drop cases.

The Attorney General’s office said that searches were made in 16 buildings and that computers, phones, documents, cash, and other objects, were seized.

In a post on her personal X account, Attorney General Diana Salazar said the raids were part of “ongoing efforts to reveal and root out corruption in the country’s legal system.”

In addition to raids of judicial offices, prosecutors and police also raided the Quito headquarters of the National Public Procurement Service. In addition to suspected influence peddling in procurement activities, Salazar said some Sercop officials are suspected of illegal eavesdropping and “unauthorized access to a computer, telematic or telecommunications systems.”

Villavicencio’s daughter pushes investigation
Amanda Villavicencio, daughter of assassinated presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, is insisting on faster action by the government, claiming the investigation has “dragged on for almost a year with little results.” She is also asking President Daniel Noboa to provide funds for the Attorney General’s office to “unlock phones” and other devices seized following the assassination.

In an interview on NotiMundo al Día, Amanda Villavicencio claimed that criminals are “getting away with murder” due to stalled investigation. “Unfortunately, Ecuador’s middle name is impunity,” she said, adding that lack of investigators and funding is allowing killers to go free.

She added that Attorney General Diana Salazar wants to expand the investigation but that are her requests for more resources have been ignored.

Women arrested with 17 stolen phones
Cuenca’s Citizen Guard is warning Carnaval celebrants to secure their cell phones. “When people are having fun, participating in spuma fights, it’s easy to become careless with your possessions,” the Guard said in a Friday statement.

The warning followed the arrest Friday morning of a woman who had 17 cell phones in her backpack. The woman was preparing to board a bus to Guayaquil at Terminal Terrestre when police stopped her. She was located, police say, because two of the phones had tracking software and their owners were able to determine their location.

When questioned, the woman said she comes to Cuenca every year for the Compadres and Comadres Carnaval event and picks up phones on the ground during the spuma fights, then takes them to Guayaquil to sell. She denied pickpocketing.