Assassination days before presidential vote shakes Ecuador – and region
For years, Ecuador has been labeled a bastion of peace in a region racked by violence and political unrest. But the recent assassination of anti-corruption presidential hopeful Fernando Villavicencio shattered that perception, highlighting how the small South American nation is facing down a rapidly expanding war on organized crime amid political divisions and limited economic resources.
As Ecuadorians vote for their next president Aug. 20, their shaken views around security and safety following Mr. Villavicencio’s murder could become the most important mandate for the nation’s next leader.
The 59-year-old journalist and political underdog running on an anti-corruption platform was shot multiple times as he climbed into a vehicle after a campaign rally in the capital, Quito, on Aug. 9.
In the days before his death, Mr.
