Current:Home > Contact-us6 Ecuadorian suspects in presidential candidate's assassination killed in prison, officials say-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
6 Ecuadorian suspects in presidential candidate's assassination killed in prison, officials say
View Date:2024-12-23 21:16:04
Six Colombians arrested as the alleged assassins of a candidate in Ecuador's August presidential election were slain Friday inside a prison in Guayaquil, officials announced, without providing details on what happened.
The prison authority said only that six prisoners killed inside Litoral Penitentiary were the men "charged with the murder of former presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio." It identified them as: Jhon Gregore R., Andrés Manuel M., Adey Fernando G., Camilo Andrés R., Sules Osmini C. and José Neyder L.
Earlier, the agency had reported that "an event occurred inside" the prison and six people were dead. Litoral is Ecuador's biggest prison and is considered one of its most dangerous, being the scene of several riots with deaths the past three years.
The killings came as the prosecutor's office was near the conclusion of the investigation stage into the killing of Villavicencio, who was gunned down Aug. 9 while leaving a political rally.
The 59-year-old politician and former journalist had not been considered among the front-runners, but the assassination in broad daylight less than two weeks before the vote was a shocking reminder of the surge in crime besetting Ecuador. He had reported being threatened by affiliates of Mexico's Sinaloa drug cartel, one of the many international organized crime groups operating in Ecuador. Villavicencio was outspoken about the links between organized crime and government officials.
Florida International University political science professor Eduardo Gamarra told CBS News that his outspokenness may have led to his death.
"And one of the most notorious and prescient things that he said, that he always said, is that it would cost him his life."
Ecuador has long been known as one of the most peaceful nations in South America. But it is now becoming more violent, dangerous and deadly, Gamarra, an expert on Latin America, said. He said the country's transformation is similar to that of Colombia during the height of the Columbian drug wars in the 1980s and 1990s, when journalists, judges and even a presidential candidate, Luis Carlos Galan, were murdered.
Violence in Ecuador, a historically calm country, has surged in the past year as drug traffickers have flocked to the South American nation, resulting in a concerning uptick in drug trafficking, violent killings and child recruitment by gangs.
Villavicencio's alleged hitmen were captured hours after the crime and ordered held in preventive detention. Six other people also have been arrested for suspected involvement.
Although authorities released no information on the killings Friday, local media said the deaths occurred in pavilion 7, which officials have said is dominated by the local gang Los Choneros, led by Adolfo Macías. In his election campaign, Villaviciencio directly denounced Macías as the author of threats against his life.
President Guillermo Lasso, who is out of the country, wrote on the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, that he would return to Ecuador to attend to the emergency.
"Neither complicity nor cover-up, the truth will be known here," he said.
Ecuador is holding a runoff presidential election on Oct. 15 pitting the two top finishers in the August vote - leftist Luisa González and former lawmaker Daniel Noboa, who is the son of a banana tycoon.
- In:
- Prison
- Ecuador
veryGood! (1376)
Related
- Jack Del Rio leaving Wisconsin’s staff after arrest on charge of operating vehicle while intoxicated
- 2024 hurricane season breaks an unusual record, thanks to hot water
- Officers left post to go look for Trump rally gunman before shooting, state police boss says
- SCS Token Giving Wings to the CyberFusion Trading System
- Denzel Washington Will Star in Black Panther 3 Before Retirement
- BETA GLOBAL FINANCE: Cryptocurrency Payment, the New Trend in Digital Economy
- Dream Ignited: SCS Token Sparks Digital Education and Financial Technology Innovation
- Israeli athletes to receive 24-hour protection during Paris Olympics
- Massachusetts lawmakers to consider a soccer stadium for the New England Revolution
- North Dakota judge will decide whether to throw out a challenge to the state’s abortion ban
Ranking
- Maine elections chief who drew Trump’s ire narrates House tabulations in livestream
- Microsoft outage sends workers into a frenzy on social media: 'Knock Teams out'
- State election directors fear the Postal Service can’t handle expected crush of mail-in ballots
- Police seek suspects caught on video after fireworks ignite California blaze
- Week 10 fantasy football rankings: PPR, half-PPR and standard leagues
- Federal court won’t block New Mexico’s 7-day waiting period on gun purchases amid litigation
- Mattel introduces two first-of-their-kind inclusive Barbie dolls: See the new additions
- All the Surprising Rules Put in Place for the 2024 Olympics
Recommendation
-
Kentucky governor says investigators will determine what caused deadly Louisville factory explosion
-
Ethiopia mudslides death toll nears 230 as desperate search continues in southern Gofa region
-
10 to watch: Beach volleyballer Chase Budinger wants to ‘shock the world’ at 2024 Olympics
-
Runners set off on the annual Death Valley ultramarathon billed as the world’s toughest foot race
-
Father, 5 children hurt in propane tank explosion while getting toys: 'Devastating accident'
-
Billy Ray Cyrus' Estranged Wife Firerose Marks Major Milestone Amid Divorce
-
Suspected gunman in Croatia nursing home killings charged on 11 counts, including murder
-
Gunman opens fire in Croatia nursing home, killing 6 and wounding six, with most victims in their 90s