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 a special presidential election shocked the country and demonstrated how surging crime will challenge Ecuador’s next leader. Villavicencio, 59, had said he was threatened by affiliates of Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, one of a slew of international organized crime groups that now operate in Ecuador. I’m not scared of them,” Villavicencio said in a statement before his death, naming detained crime boss José Adolfo Macías by his alias, “Fito.” People went about their lives by taking outdoor exercise classes and daily walks because they are resigned to living amid the violence.

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History of this topic

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 vote overwhelmingly in referendum to approve toughening fight against gangs
8 months ago

Ecuadorians vote overwhelmingly in referendum to approve toughening fight against gangs

The Hindu  

Ecuador’s fledgling president got a resounding victory Sunday, April 21, 2024, in a referendum that he touted as a way to crack down on criminal gangs behind a spiraling wave of violence. An official quick count showed that Ecuadorians overwhelmingly voted “yes” to all nine questions focused on tightening security measures, rejecting only two more controversial economic proposals. Among the …

Ecuadorians vote overwhelmingly in referendum to approve toughening fight against gangs
8 months ago

Ecuadorians vote overwhelmingly in referendum to approve toughening fight against gangs

Associated Press  

QUITO, Ecuador — Ecuador’s fledgling president got a resounding victory Sunday in a referendum that he touted as a way to crack down on criminal gangs behind a spiraling wave of violence. Among the measures approved are President Noboa’s call to deploy the army in the fight against the gangs, to loosen obstacles for extraditing accused criminals and to lengthen …

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 …

Ten killed, gangs unleash terror as Ecuador declares state of emergency
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Ten killed, gangs unleash terror as Ecuador declares state of emergency

Al Jazeera  

Gunmen storm TV station during live broadcast, more than 20 violent incidents reported as country lurches into crisis. At least 10 people have been killed in Ecuador in a series of attacks blamed on armed gangs, as the country plunges into chaos in what the new president has called an “internal armed conflict”. President Daniel Noboa, 36, declared a 60-day …

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 …

US offers $5m reward for insight into Ecuador election assassination
1 year, 2 months ago

US offers $5m reward for insight into Ecuador election assassination

Al Jazeera  

US Secretary of State Blinken announced the reward as part of an ongoing probe into Fernando Villavicencio’s death. “Multiple assassins attacked Mr Villavicencio, the Movimiento Construye party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, as he left a Quito campaign event on August 9,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken explained in a statement on Thursday. “The United States will continue to …

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 …

Ecuadorians are choosing a new president amid increasing violence that may scare away voters
1 year, 4 months ago

Ecuadorians are choosing a new president amid increasing violence that may scare away voters

The Hindu  

Ecuador is holding a special election Sunday to pick a new president, with police and soldiers on guard against unprecedented violence, including the assassination of a candidate this month. Atamint, president of the National Electoral Council, marked the start of the election telling Ecuadorians that voting “should be a strong democratic message of unity and hope to face the violence …

Human rights commission denounces murder of third politician in Ecuador
1 year, 4 months ago

Human rights commission denounces murder of third politician in Ecuador

Al Jazeera  

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has urged solutions to the political violence unfolding before Ecuador’s elections. In a social media post on Tuesday, the organisation wrote that it “urges the state to diligently investigate and strengthen measures to prevent political violence”. “Mano dura” or “strong hand” anti-crime tactics have found renewed popularity in certain parts of Latin America, including …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Ecuador beset by crime, economic woes ahead of presidential vote
1 year, 4 months ago

Ecuador beset by crime, economic woes ahead of presidential vote

Al Jazeera  

People in Ecuador have expressed pessimism ahead of upcoming presidential elections, as the South American nation struggles with economic turmoil and increasing crime and insecurity. But a lack of employment opportunities and rising insecurity – linked in part to increased activity among criminal groups – have pushed a growing number of people to leave Ecuador and seek opportunities elsewhere. “We’re …

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 …

What’s at stake in Colombia’s upcoming elections
2 years, 9 months ago

What’s at stake in Colombia’s upcoming elections

Al Jazeera  

Bogota, Colombia – When Yoad Ernesto Pérez Becerra launched his congressional campaign in one of the most violent corners of Colombia, he did so with the promise that he would be an “architect of peace”. That vast dislike for Duque and his party was driven by a resurgence of violence in the countryside and “egregious” human rights abuses by police …

Ecuador: At least 18 inmates die in two prison riots
3 years, 5 months ago

Ecuador: At least 18 inmates die in two prison riots

Al Jazeera  

The latest violence comes months after at least 79 inmates died in the country’s worst prison riots. At least 18 inmates died and several police officers were injured during riots at two of Ecuador’s largest penitentiaries, the Andean country’s SNAI prison authority said late on Wednesday, marking the second major deadly wave of prison violence this year. On Thursday, Ecuador’s …

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