The assassination of an Ecuadorian presidential candidate in August has taken a dark turn, with seven suspects now dead. Authorities in Ecuador’s capital announced that a seventh man accused in the assassination was killed inside a prison. This comes just a day after six others accused of being linked to the crime were slain in a different lockup. The shocking series of events has raised concerns ahead of Ecuador’s upcoming presidential runoff election. Local officials are struggling to explain how these killings were allowed to take place. The prison system released a statement confirming the death of the seventh suspect, but provided no details about the incident or the suspect’s nationality.
Six Colombian men, who were charged in the August 9 assassination of Fernando Villavicencio, were killed on Friday inside a prison in Guayaquil. In response to the escalating violence, President Guillermo Lasso called an emergency meeting of his security Cabinet. The meeting resulted in the decision to transfer the remaining six suspects to a different prison. As a precautionary measure for their security, the government did not disclose the name of the new prison. The government has also taken action against the officials accountable for the incident by firing the prisons system director and the police chief of investigations. The investigation into Villavicencio’s killing is nearing its conclusion, and the prosecutor’s office is expected to make an announcement soon.
This incident has drawn attention to the rising crime rate in Ecuador. While not initially considered a top candidate, Villavicencio’s shocking daylight assassination highlights the dangers faced by politicians in the country. The politician had reported receiving threats from affiliates of Mexico’s notorious Sinaloa drug cartel. Ecuador is currently preparing for its presidential runoff election on October 15, with leftist Luisa González and former lawmaker Daniel Noboa, son of a banana tycoon, contending for the position.
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