Who was the assassinated presidential candidate and why did Ecuador become so violent?

Fernando Villavicencio was killed by a gunman after a campaign rally at a school in the Quito area on Wednesday night, just 11 days before the election. It was the first assassination of a presidential candidate in Ecuador's history.

Ecuadorian authorities say an armed suspect has been killed in a shootout. Police say the suspect and six other people arrested in connection with the incident are Colombian citizens.

Who is the assassinated presidential candidate and why has Ecuador become so violent? Image 1 — Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. Photo: Reuters

Anti-corruption

Long before he ran for president, Mr. Villavicencio made a name for himself rooting out corruption, backroom deals and waste in the country's government and major industries.

Over the years, as a labor organizer and congressional aide and then as a journalist, lawmaker and presidential candidate, he has denounced the country's corruption, making specific references to some of the biggest names in Ecuadorian politics and finance.

Mr Villavicencio uncovered evidence of bribery and campaign financing schemes under the administration of former President Rafael Correa, leading to three criminal charges against Mr Correa and his exile in Belgium since leaving office.

Mr. Villavicencio also accused senior executives in Ecuador's oil, mining and energy industries as well as major foreign companies of corruption and underhanded dealings.

More recently, Mr. Villavicencio helped expose the growing presence of drug cartels in Ecuador, including Mexico’s notorious Sinaloa Cartel, which has contributed to an unprecedented crime wave in the country.

Most recently, Mr. Villavicencio told the crowd that he was receiving death threats from gang bosses.

The situation is dire.

The killing of Mr Villavicencio highlights the deteriorating security situation in much of South America.

Years of weak economic growth, political instability, the COVID-19 pandemic and the growing reach of cocaine trafficking gangs are causing trouble not only for Ecuador but also for many countries in the region.

Security in Ecuador has deteriorated since the pandemic. Violence has broken out in many of the country's prisons since late 2020, leaving hundreds of inmates dead.

Gangs operating inside Ecuador's prisons have exploited weak state controls to expand their power, threatening the lives of inmates, according to human rights groups and prisoners' families.

Outside prisons, murders have exploded. Since 2016, Ecuador’s murder rate has increased by nearly 500%. The country is expected to have 22 murders per 100,000 people by 2022, global risk intelligence firm Verisk Maplecroft said in a report.

President Guillermo Lasso, who has called early presidential elections to avoid impeachment, has repeatedly blamed drug gangs.

Mr. Lasso has frequently declared states of emergency to beef up security, including military patrols on the streets and nightly curfews.

Quoc Thien (according to Reuters)

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