FBI to aid Ecuador in probing assassination of right-wing candidate: Report
The Biden Administration Sends FBI Agents to Ecuador to Investigate Assassination of Presidential Candidate
The Biden administration has reportedly made plans to send FBI agents to Ecuador to investigate the assassination of right-wing presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. Villavicencio was shot multiple times on Wednesday after leaving a political rally.
Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso requested aid from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, and his request was accepted. In a tweet, Lasso wrote, “The U.S. Federal Investigation and Intelligence Agency accepted our request and in the next few hours a delegation will arrive in the country.”
President Lasso declared a national state of emergency for 60 days, three days of national mourning, and deployed armed forces across the country. He stated, “Organized crime has come a long way, but the full weight of the law will fall on them.”
While FBI officials have not confirmed the report, it is common for the bureau to launch investigations in allied nations, as reported by Bloomberg.
Presidential Candidate Villavicencio’s Campaign and Legacy
Fernando Villavicencio, a journalist who covered government corruption before entering politics, campaigned on building safety in Ecuador through five pillars: citizens, food, economics, environment, and health. Tragically, he was assassinated just ten days before the scheduled presidential election.
Villavicencio was married and leaves behind five children, according to the Associated Press.
Brian Nichols, the assistant U.S. Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere, condemned the assassination, calling it a “brazen attack on democracy and the rule of law.” He urged a swift and thorough investigation and offered U.S. support.
International Response and Arrests
John Kirby, the National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications, expressed his concern for Ecuadorean democracy, stating that the assassination was not what anyone would want.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also condemned the assassination and offered condolences to Villavicencio’s family and the people of Ecuador. He pledged support to local authorities in bringing the perpetrators to justice.
According to CNN, at least nine other people were injured in the incident, including a candidate for the National Assembly and two police officers.
The Ecuadorian Attorney General’s Office announced the arrest of seven suspects, including the alleged killer, who later died from wounds sustained during a shootout with a security detail. Interior Minister Juan Zapata revealed that the suspects included foreign nationals and members of organized criminal groups. Authorities seized various weapons and ammunition, as well as motorcycles and a stolen vehicle.
Villavicencio’s Fight Against Cartels and Government Corruption
Villavicencio was known for his outspoken opposition to cartels operating in Ecuador. These criminal organizations have recently increased their presence in the country’s coastal ports, leading to a resurgence of violence. The Sinaloa cartel affiliates from Mexico had reportedly threatened Villavicencio due to his activism against them.
In 2014, Villavicencio was sentenced to 18 months in prison for allegedly slandering former left-wing President Rafael Correa. He spent three years as a fugitive before being granted political asylum in Peru. After returning to Ecuador, he accused the government of misusing public resources in the commercialization of crude oil with private company PetroChina, resulting in significant financial losses for the country.
In his final speech before his assassination, Villavicencio vowed to continue fighting against corruption and named José Adolfo Macía, the detained leader of the Ecuadorian gang Los Choneros, as one of his targets. He fearlessly declared, “Here I am showing my face. I’m not scared of them.”
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