Five jailed over assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio
GuardianJul 18
Ecuador: Five Jailed for 2023 Presidential Candidate Murder
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The Facts
A three-judge court in Ecuador has sentenced five individuals — found guilty in the August 2023 killing of presidential hopeful Fernando Villavicencio — to prison, capping a trial that began late June.
Carlos Edwin Angulo Lara and Laura Dayanara Castillo were sentenced to 34 years and eight months, while Erick Ramírez, Victor Flores, and Alexandra Chimbo were sentenced to 12 years.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
The high-profile assassination of Fernando Villavicencio wasn't an isolated incident in violence-ridden Ecuador, as gangs have killed many popular figures — from officials and politicians to athletes, artists, and prominent drug lords. As Quito has sought to curb the rising crime and corruption once and for all with a state of emergency, American support may prove crucial.
Establishment-critical narrative
One must be disturbingly naive at best to believe that further US interference is what Ecuador needs after the killing of a presidential candidate who had long been an alleged CIA asset. Though Villavicencio fabricated lies to boost the Russiagate invention and resolutely obstructed the impeachment of US-backed Guillermo Lasso, his candidacy had turned him into a dangerous liability for the Agency.
