Slain Ecuador candidate fearlessly took on drug cartels and corruption
1 year, 4 months ago

Slain Ecuador candidate fearlessly took on drug cartels and corruption

Associated Press  

QUITO, Ecuador — The Ecuadorian presidential candidate fatally shot at a political rally fearlessly took on his country’s criminal networks and the political elite that he accused of corruption at the hands of organized crime. Villavicencio began taking on the powerful at 18, when he founded a small newspaper, Prensa Obrera, which focused on workers’ rights, and went on to study journalism at the Central University of Ecuador. Villavicencio also wrote about obscure deals in which former President Rafael Correa’s leftist government took billions in loans from state banks in China in exchange for oil shipments. Despite that, the candidate had received at least three death threats before the shooting and reported them to authorities, resulting in one detention, according to Patricio Zuquilanda, Villavicencio’s campaign adviser.

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History of this topic

Real estate magnate who came close to winning Colombia’s presidential election dies from cancer
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Real estate magnate who came close to winning Colombia’s presidential election dies from cancer

Associated Press  

BOGOTA, Colombia — Rodolfo Hernández, a controversial real estate magnate and anti-corruption crusader who came close to winning Colombia’s presidential election two years ago, has died from colon cancer at a hospital near the city of Bucaramanga, his doctors said Monday in a statement. Hernández, a civil engineer and former mayor of Bucaramanga, surprised Colombians in 2022 when he made …

Convicted instigators in murder of Ecuador presidential candidate get 34-year prison sentences
5 months, 1 week ago

Convicted instigators in murder of Ecuador presidential candidate get 34-year prison sentences

Associated Press  

QUITO, Ecuador — The two instigators of the 2023 assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio were sentenced on Friday to 34 years and eight months in prison. Villavicencio, 59, was killed by gunmen on motorcycles last Aug. 9 as he left a school in Ecuador’s capital, Quito, after a campaign rally. According to the prosecutor’s office, one of the …

Five jailed for 2023 murder of Ecuador presidential candidate
5 months, 1 week ago

Five jailed for 2023 murder of Ecuador presidential candidate

Al Jazeera  

Former journalist Fernando Villavicencio’s family and friends have urged an investigation into who ordered his killing. A court in Ecuador has handed down prison sentences of 12 to 34 years to five people found guilty of conspiring to murder presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. According to the attorney general’s office, Carlos Edwin Angulo Lara, known as ‘El Invisible’, gave the order …

Ecuadorians wanted an action man. President Noboa has fulfilled that role — embassy raid included
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Ecuadorians wanted an action man. President Noboa has fulfilled that role — embassy raid included

Associated Press  

QUITO, Ecuador — While world leaders have expressed shock and bewilderment over Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa’s decision to raid Mexico’s embassy last Friday, the extraordinarily unusual move — and Noboa’s relative silence about it — is unlikely to hurt him with his constituents. “ a very powerful image boost.” Police attempt to break into the Mexican embassy in Quito, Ecuador, …

Mexico severs diplomatic ties with Ecuador after police storm its embassy to arrest politician
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Mexico severs diplomatic ties with Ecuador after police storm its embassy to arrest politician

Associated Press  

QUITO, Ecuador — Mexico’s government severed diplomatic ties with Ecuador after police broke into the Mexican Embassy to arrest a former Ecuadorian vice president, an extraordinary use of force that shocked and mystified regional leaders and diplomats. This is totally outside the norm.” Police attempt to break into the Mexican embassy in Quito, Ecuador, Friday, April 5, 2024, following Mexico’s …

Ecuador: Under Fire
10 months, 1 week ago

Ecuador: Under Fire

Al Jazeera  

People & Power investigates the causes of Ecuador’s deepening violence. The dramatic takeover of a public TV station by masked gunmen and prison riots in January 2024 shocked a country already struggling with historically high crime and murder rates. The violence during the last election campaign, including the killing of a presidential candidate, made headlines around the world. Following the …

No ‘clear way out’: How Ecuador descended into gang violence
10 months, 1 week ago

No ‘clear way out’: How Ecuador descended into gang violence

Al Jazeera  

Experts trace the root causes of Ecuador’s spiralling violence, as President Daniel Noboa leads a crackdown on gangs. “Ecuador is a small country in a violent neighbourhood, and it’s become a key part of global narco-trafficking networks,” said Will Freeman, a fellow for Latin America studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, a US-based think tank. As Ecuador’s prominence in …

Ecuador Is 'In State of War' Against Cartels, President Daniel Noboa Says
11 months, 1 week ago

Ecuador Is 'In State of War' Against Cartels, President Daniel Noboa Says

News 18  

Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa said Wednesday the country was in “a state of war” against drug cartels who have carried out a wave of kidnappings and deadly attacks in response to government crackdown. The latest crisis began when authorities on Monday reported the prison escape of one of the country’s most powerful narco bosses, Jose Adolfo Macias, known by the …

Fito: The ‘most wanted’ drugs cartel kingpin who plunged Ecuador into national emergency
11 months, 1 week ago

Fito: The ‘most wanted’ drugs cartel kingpin who plunged Ecuador into national emergency

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A drug ganglord who …

Ecuador in state of emergency after drug boss’s prison break
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Ecuador in state of emergency after drug boss’s prison break

The Telegraph  

A notorious trafficking kingpin linked to the escalating drug gang war in Ecuador has broken out of prison, triggering a state of emergency and a wave of violence. Authorities in the once relatively peaceful South American country launched one of the biggest manhunts in its history after José Adolfo Macias Villamar, known as “Fito,” escaped in the port city of …

Amid escalating drug war, Ecuador goes to polls to elect new president
1 year, 2 months ago

Amid escalating drug war, Ecuador goes to polls to elect new president

Firstpost  

Ecuadorans vote for a new president Sunday in the midst of a bloody drug war and a rash of political assassinations that cut short the bid of a popular candidate Ecuadorans vote for a new president Sunday in the midst of a bloody drug war and a rash of political assassinations that cut short the bid of a popular candidate. …

How will the deaths of high-profile murder suspects tip Ecuador’s election?
1 year, 2 months ago

How will the deaths of high-profile murder suspects tip Ecuador’s election?

Al Jazeera  

Seven suspects in the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio have died in prison this month. “All the were Colombian nationals and were charged with the assassination of ex-presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio,” SNAI said in its press release. “If anything happens, they change their minds.” A tight election Maluk believes the fallout from the seven killings could weigh heavily on …

Ecuadorians are picking a new president, but their demands for safety will be hard to meet
1 year, 2 months ago

Ecuadorians are picking a new president, but their demands for safety will be hard to meet

Associated Press  

CARACAS, Venezuela — The contest comes Sunday, and whoever wins the prize — a job that starts on Christmas — will face a difficult, if not impossible, task. “There’s nothing that fails like success,” said Lowell Gustafson, a Latin American politics professor at Villanova University. “Whoever wins this election is going to have to deal with this … but I …

A seventh man accused in killing of an Ecuador presidential candidate is slain inside prison
1 year, 2 months ago

A seventh man accused in killing of an Ecuador presidential candidate is slain inside prison

Associated Press  

QUITO, Ecuador — A seventh man accused in the August assassination of an Ecuadorian presidential candidate was killed inside a prison in Ecuador’s capital, authorities said Saturday, a day after six others allegedly linked to the crime were slain in a different lockup. The prison system said in a press release that the man killed was being held at a …

Colombians held over Ecuador presidential candidate’s murder slain in jail
1 year, 2 months ago

Colombians held over Ecuador presidential candidate’s murder slain in jail

Al Jazeera  

Ecuador’s President pledges to get to bottom of killings in prison of six Colombian suspects in high-profile murder. Six Colombian inmates killed in a prison in Ecuador were all suspects in the murder of the country’s anticorruption presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio earlier this year, Ecuadorian authorities have confirmed. They “are of Colombian nationality and were accused of the murder of …

Councillor’s murder in Ecuador fuels crime concerns ahead of election
1 year, 3 months ago

Councillor’s murder in Ecuador fuels crime concerns ahead of election

Al Jazeera  

The death of Bolivar Vera is the latest in a string of political violence as Ecuador struggles with rising homicide rates. A kidnapped municipal councillor was found dead in Ecuador, prompting renewed concern over political violence in the lead-up to the country’s presidential run-off election. ‘Easy recruits for criminal gangs’ Over the last few years, Ecuador has seen a spike …

Ecuadorian police arrest six after car bombs explode in Quito
1 year, 3 months ago

Ecuadorian police arrest six after car bombs explode in Quito

Al Jazeera  

South American nation is grappling with surge in violence as voters prepare for October presidential run-off. Police in Ecuador have arrested six suspects after a car bombing in a commercial area of the capital, Quito, as the South American nation grapples with a surge in violence that authorities say is linked to drug trafficking. The vehicle exploded due to the …

Political leader in Ecuador is killed less than a week after presidential candidate’s assassination
1 year, 4 months ago

Political leader in Ecuador is killed less than a week after presidential candidate’s assassination

Associated Press  

GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador — The unprecedented violence shaking Ecuador claimed the life of another political leader Monday, bringing the number of politics-related slayings within the last four weeks to three, including that of a presidential candidate. “A heartfelt hug to the family of colleague Pedro Briones, fallen by the hands of violence.” The killing of Briones, who was a political leader …

Ecuador: Political leader shot dead less than a week after assassination of prominent presidential candidate
1 year, 4 months ago

Ecuador: Political leader shot dead less than a week after assassination of prominent presidential candidate

India TV News  

As drug-related violence continues to increase in Ecuador, political leader Pedro Briones was killed in a shooting incident, less than a week after the South American country was shaken by the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. This comes after the assassination of the 59-year-old Villavicencio, who was one of the most critical voices against corruption, especially during the government …

Ecuador was calm and peaceful. Now hitmen, kidnappers and robbers walk the streets
1 year, 4 months ago

Ecuador was calm and peaceful. Now hitmen, kidnappers and robbers walk the streets

Associated Press  

GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador — Belen Diaz was walking home from college one evening when a motorcycle carrying two men made a menacing U-turn. “We are at the hands of drug trafficking, of evil in its entirety.” The country’s National Police tallied 3,568 violent deaths in the first six months of this year, far more than the 2,042 reported during the same …

Ecuador: Gang Leader Who Threatened Slain Prez Candidate Transferred to Max Security
1 year, 4 months ago

Ecuador: Gang Leader Who Threatened Slain Prez Candidate Transferred to Max Security

News 18  

Ecuador transferred a powerful gang leader, accused of threatening a presidential candidate before he was slain, to a maximum security prison via a massive military and police operation on Saturday, officials said. At dawn some 4,000 heavily armed agents entered Prison 8 in Guayaquil in southwestern Ecuador, where the head of the powerful Los Choneros criminal group, Jose Adolfo Macias, …

Ecuador gang boss who threatened Villavicencio moved to high-security jail
1 year, 4 months ago

Ecuador gang boss who threatened Villavicencio moved to high-security jail

Al Jazeera  

A week before his murder, slain presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio had accused Adolfo ‘Fito’ Macias of threatening him and his campaign team Authorities in Ecuador have transferred the leader of a powerful gang accused of threatening a presidential candidate before he was slain to a maximum security prison. About 4,000 soldiers and police officers were involved in the dawn operation …

Slain Ecuador candidate’s running mate picked to run for presidency
1 year, 4 months ago

Slain Ecuador candidate’s running mate picked to run for presidency

Al Jazeera  

Andrea Gonzalez to contest the August 20 polls in place of Fernando Villavicencio, his party announced. The running mate of Ecuador’s assassinated presidential candidate, Fernando Villavicencio, has been named to stand in his place in the August 20 elections, according to their party. The centrist Construye party said in a statement on Saturday that Andrea Gonzalez will replace the 59-year-old …

Leader of Ecuadorian crime gang moved to maximum-security prison days after candidate’s killing
1 year, 4 months ago

Leader of Ecuadorian crime gang moved to maximum-security prison days after candidate’s killing

Associated Press  

GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador — Authorities moved the leader of one of Ecuador’s most powerful gangs into a maximum-security prison Saturday, three days after the assassination of a presidential candidate who had denounced threats from the feared criminal. President Guillermo Lasso said the relocation of Los Choneros leader Adolfo Macías, alias “Fito,” was meant “for the safety of citizens and detainees.” The …

Cartel politics: The Hindu Editorial on an assassination and Ecuador’s fight against drugs
1 year, 4 months ago

Cartel politics: The Hindu Editorial on an assassination and Ecuador’s fight against drugs

The Hindu  

The assassination of a presidential candidate in Ecuador, just 11 days ahead of voting, shows that even its top politicians are not safe from organised gangs that have, in recent years, turned this South American nation into a hub of narco-trafficking. During the election campaign, he had promised measures to tackle gang violence such as building a maximum-security prison in …

Killing of Ecuador candidate deepens country’s sense of vulnerability to crime
1 year, 4 months ago

Killing of Ecuador candidate deepens country’s sense of vulnerability to crime

Associated Press  

MEXICO CITY — The brazen assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio at a crowded political rally Wednesday night deepened the country’s sense of vulnerability to the crime that’s spread across the country in recent years. His shooting death has focused global attention on his country’s wave of violent deaths, which began about three years ago, and the connection between …

Ecuador holds 6 Colombians in slaying of presidential candidate as violence weighs on nation
1 year, 4 months ago

Ecuador holds 6 Colombians in slaying of presidential candidate as violence weighs on nation

Associated Press  

QUITO, Ecuador — Ecuador will hold six Colombian men for at least a month as the country probes their involvement in the slaying of a presidential candidate whose life’s work was fighting crime and corruption, the national prosecutor’s office said Friday. Villavicencio was not a front-runner in the race, but his assassination in broad daylight less than two weeks before …

Is Ecuador succumbing to gang violence and organised crime?
1 year, 4 months ago

Is Ecuador succumbing to gang violence and organised crime?

Al Jazeera  

A state of emergency has been imposed after assassination of presidential candidate. Fernando Villavicencio is the third electoral candidate to be killed in Ecuador in a matter of weeks. The former investigative journalist campaigned on an anti-corruption platform, accusing government officials of having links to organised crime. Ecuador is struggling with rising gang violence and drug trafficking. Presenter: Adrian Finighan …

Ecuadorians living in fear after presidential candidate’s killing
1 year, 4 months ago

Ecuadorians living in fear after presidential candidate’s killing

Al Jazeera  

Quito, Ecuador – It was business as usual on the streets of the Ecuadorian capital, as people made their way to work and students headed to school just hours after one of the country’s presidential candidates was fatally shot after a campaign rally. As a worker, yes, I’m really concerned.” Henry Toro, 59, taxi driver “I’m upset, outraged because I …

Six Colombians arrested over assassination of Ecuador presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio
1 year, 4 months ago

Six Colombians arrested over assassination of Ecuador presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio

ABC  

The six men arrested as suspects in the assassination of an anti-corruption Ecuadorian presidential candidate are Colombian nationals, according to a police report. Key points: Fernando Villavicencio was assassinated while campaigning in Quito on Wednesday The police report does not say if the arrested men are alleged members of a criminal group Mr Villavicencio received at least three death threats …

Ecuador presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio assassinated ahead of elections
1 year, 4 months ago

Ecuador presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio assassinated ahead of elections

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando …

Ecuador: Presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio shot dead after campaign rally
1 year, 4 months ago

Ecuador: Presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio shot dead after campaign rally

Deccan Chronicle  

Quito : Ecuadorean presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio has been shot dead at a political rally in Quito Wednesday night, The Washington Post reported. Few days before the general election in #Ecuador one of the Ecuadorian Presidential Candidate Fernando Villavicencio has been shot dead at a rally in Quito. Though not a front… pic.twitter.com/NvRHaAyGCE — Tehseen Poonawalla Official 🇮🇳 August 10, …

Ecuadoran presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio shot dead after rally
1 year, 4 months ago

Ecuadoran presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio shot dead after rally

Firstpost  

Ecuadoran presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, known for speaking up against corruption, was shot and killed Wednesday at a political rally in the capital, an attack that comes amid a wave of startling violence in the South American country Ecuadoran presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, known for speaking up against corruption, was shot and killed Wednesday at a political rally in the …

Ecuador’s presidential candidate assassinated at campaign event in Quito amid violence in country
1 year, 4 months ago

Ecuador’s presidential candidate assassinated at campaign event in Quito amid violence in country

The Hindu  

An Ecuadorian presidential candidate known for speaking up against corruption was shot and killed Wednesday at a political rally in the capital amid a wave of startling violence in the South American country President Guillermo Lasso confirmed the assassination of Fernando Villavicencio and suggested organized crime was behind his slaying. “Organized crime has gone too far, but they will feel …

Ecuador arrests six Colombians as suspects in slaying of anti-corruption presidential candidate
1 year, 4 months ago

Ecuador arrests six Colombians as suspects in slaying of anti-corruption presidential candidate

Associated Press  

QUITO, Ecuador — The six men arrested as suspects in the assassination of an anti-corruption Ecuadorian presidential candidate are Colombian nationals, a police report said Thursday as authorities investigated the motive for a crime that shocked a nation already reeling from a surge in drug-related violence. Villavicencio had said he was threatened by affiliates of Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, one of …

What does the assassination of a presidential candidate mean for Ecuador?
1 year, 4 months ago

What does the assassination of a presidential candidate mean for Ecuador?

Al Jazeera  

The 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 …

Who was Fernando Villavicencio, presidential hopeful shot dead in Ecuador?
1 year, 4 months ago

Who was Fernando Villavicencio, presidential hopeful shot dead in Ecuador?

Al Jazeera  

Killing of Villavicencio, former journalist and union member who pledged to fight corruption, comes days ahead of vote. “Outraged and shocked by the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio,” the president, who is not seeking re-election, said in a statement posted on social media. Complained of threats Patricio Zuquilanda, Villavicencio’s campaign adviser, said the candidate had received at least three …

How world reacted to Ecuador presidential candidate Villavicencio’s killing
1 year, 4 months ago

How world reacted to Ecuador presidential candidate Villavicencio’s killing

Al Jazeera  

The killing of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio has sent shockwaves across the South American nation and the world, prompting an outpouring of grief and calls to tackle rising violence. Mexico Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it “regret the acts of violence that occurred in Quito” and expressed its “solidarity with the Ecuadorian government and people”. “We condemn any …

Fernando Villavicencio promised to crack down on Ecuador’s ‘narco state.’ It made him powerful enemies
1 year, 4 months ago

Fernando Villavicencio promised to crack down on Ecuador’s ‘narco state.’ It made him powerful enemies

CNN  

CNN — Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, shot dead on the campaign trail on Wednesday, was known as a tireless anti-corruption campaigner and investigative journalist. A 59-year-old lawmaker in the National Assembly, he had been outspoken about corruption and the violence caused by drug trafficking in the country, telling CNN En Español in May that Ecuador had become a “narco …

Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio assassinated at campaign event
1 year, 4 months ago

Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio assassinated at campaign event

The Telegraph  

Late night marches decrying the murder took place in several cities, including Mr Villavicencio’s hometown of Alausi. In a separate incident following his assassination, Mr Villavicencio’s party, Movimiento Construye, reported armed men attacked its Quito offices. It comes as Movimiento Construye party members previously considered suspending their campaigning due to political violence, including the July murder of the mayor of …

Ecuador presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio killed while campaigning
1 year, 4 months ago

Ecuador presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio killed while campaigning

ABC  

Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio has been fatally shot after deciding not to suspend campaigning amid political violence in Ecuador. Key points: Fernando Villavicencio was shot while campaigning at an event in Quito The attorney-general's office says a suspect in the shooting has died Videos on social media purportedly from the campaign event show people taking cover and screaming as …

Ecuador arrests six Colombians in slaying of anti-corruption presidential candidate
1 year, 4 months ago

Ecuador arrests six Colombians in slaying of anti-corruption presidential candidate

LA Times  

Fernando Villavicencio was killed by a gunman at a political rally in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, where drug trafficking and violence have surged. The six men arrested as suspects in the assassination of an anti-corruption Ecuadorean presidential candidate are Colombian nationals, a police report said Thursday as authorities investigated the motive for a crime that shocked a nation already …

Anti-corruption presidential candidate in Ecuador is assassinated at campaign event
1 year, 4 months ago

Anti-corruption presidential candidate in Ecuador is assassinated at campaign event

LA Times  

Fernando Villavicencio was killed by a gunman at a political rally in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, where drug trafficking and violence have surged. Presidential candidate in Ecuador is assassinated at campaign event An Ecuadorean presidential candidate known for speaking up against corruption was shot and killed Wednesday at a political rally in the capital amid a wave of startling …

Ecuador presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio assassinated at campaign event
1 year, 4 months ago

Ecuador presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio assassinated at campaign event

CNN  

Quito, Ecuador CNN — A candidate in Ecuador’s upcoming presidential election, Fernando Villavicencio, was assassinated at a campaign event in the capital Wednesday, as a deadly escalation of violence and crime grips the South American country. Alleged gunman dead, six others arrested Villavicencio’s suspected shooter died in police custody following an exchange of fire with security personnel, Ecuador’s Attorney General’s …

How gang warfare jumped from Ecuador’s prisons to the open street
1 year, 4 months ago

How gang warfare jumped from Ecuador’s prisons to the open street

CNN  

CNN — Frantic purchases of ammunition, the daylight assassination of a mayor, and a growing body count inside Ecuador’s prisons signal that the country’s roiling security crisis is going from bad to worse. Security forces have struggled to confront the gangs inside overcrowded prisons, where inmates often take control of branches of the penitentiaries and run criminal networks from behind …

Mayor of Ecuador port city slain in shooting that kills 1 other, wounds 4
1 year, 5 months ago

Mayor of Ecuador port city slain in shooting that kills 1 other, wounds 4

Associated Press  

QUITO, Ecuador — The mayor of Ecuador’s third largest city was slain Sunday in a shooting that killed one other person and wounded four more, including two suspected attackers, officials said. The victim’s sister, Ana Intriago, wrote on her Twitter account that “this crime cannot go unpunished.. Let’s not let them win.” Manta is about 260 kilometers southwest of Ecuador’s …

Ecuador is in trouble and its president may pay the price
1 year, 7 months ago

Ecuador is in trouble and its president may pay the price

CNN  

CNN — Ecuador was known as the “isla de paz” – an island of peace – in the 1980s, when compared to its neighbors Colombia and Peru, some of the world’s biggest producers of cocaine. Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso is at the center of this storm, and his popularity has tanked amid widespread discontent with spiraling crime rates. Before President …

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