Drug cartels, a state crisis – and now a political murder. Ecuador is in a state of emergency shortly before the presidential and parliamentary elections. The military was also mobilized.
After the assassination attempt on Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, the suspects are being held in custody for an initial 30 days. The investigators presented a total of 22 pieces of evidence against the six men from neighboring Colombia, according to the South American country’s public prosecutor’s office. These included witness statements, autopsy reports, ballistics analysis and video recordings.
The perpetrators shot opposition candidate Villavicencio on Wednesday after an election campaign event in the capital Quito. At least nine people were injured, including three bodyguards and a candidate for the National Assembly. A suspect died after an exchange of gunfire with security forces. President Guillermo Lasso declared a state of emergency for 60 days and mobilized the armed forces.
Early presidential and parliamentary elections will be held in Ecuador on August 20th. These became necessary because Lasso had dissolved the National Assembly in the midst of impeachment proceedings for alleged embezzlement. The once peaceful country is currently suffering from a wave of violence. The homicide rate of 25 homicides per 100,000 people last year was the highest in the country’s history. The government blames drug dealers in particular.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
