What does the assassination of a presidential candidate mean for Ecuador?
Al JazeeraThe slaying of anti-corruption advocate Fernando Villavicencio has underscored the threat of rising crime in Ecuador. As Ecuador reels from the assassination of a high-profile presidential candidate, experts say the event underscores growing violence driven by powerful criminal groups in the South American nation. “Within Ecuador, you’re seeing everyone condemn the assassination,” said Will Freeman, a fellow of Latin America studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, a US-based think tank. “Unfortunately, you’re Freeman said that critics have highlighted Villavicencio’s history of corruption allegations against former President Rafael Correa, seeming to imply — without evidence — that the assassination was a form of political payback. The proliferation of rumours underscores the necessity for a “rapid, transparent investigation” to provide the public with reliable information, Human Rights Watch’s Goebertus said.