Political Leader Assassinated in Ecuador Shortly After Presidential Candidate’s Killing

In a tragic turn of events, another political leader has been murdered in Ecuador, just days after the assassination of a presidential candidate in the capital city of Quito.

The victim, Pedro Briones, was shot and killed in the northern province of Esmeraldas. Briones was a prominent member of the Revolución Ciudadana party, which is led by Luisa González, the frontrunner in Sunday’s special presidential election.

González expressed her sorrow on X (formerly known as Twitter), describing Ecuador’s current situation as its “bloodiest era”. She extended her condolences to Briones’ family and condemned the violence.

Details of Briones’ murder are still scarce at this time.

This tragic incident occurred less than a week after Fernando Villavicencio, a member of the Build Ecuador Movement and one of the eight presidential candidates, was shot and killed in broad daylight at the conclusion of a political rally on August 9.

These recent deaths are part of a disturbing trend of violence escalating across the country. In July, Agustín Intriago, the mayor of Manta, was also fatally shot. The State Department has issued a Level 2 travel advisory for Ecuador since June, urging visitors to exercise caution due to civil unrest, crime, and kidnapping.

In response to Villavicencio’s assassination, the U.S. Embassy in Quito issued a security alert, cautioning people to avoid demonstrations and crowds while remaining vigilant. President Guillermo Lasso declared a two-month state of emergency following the assassination.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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