Trial begins in Ecuador over murder of presidential candidate Villavicencio
BY GONZALO SOLANO
Updated 11:44 AM CDT, June 25, 2024
QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Ecuador’s highest court put five suspects on trial Tuesday for last year’s murder of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, as his relatives protested outside to demand a swift and hefty sentence.
Prosecutors at the National Court of Justice accuse Carlos Angulo, a leader of drug trafficking gang Los Lobos, of coordinating the crime. Laura Castillo, an alleged associate of Los Lobos, is accused of obtaining vehicles, weapons and money for the hit men who killed the candidate.
They could face prison sentences of 22 to 26 years.
Villavicencio, 59, was killed by gunmen on motorcycles on Aug. 9 as he left a school in Ecuador’s capital, Quito, where he held a campaign rally.
The former journalist had produced groundbreaking investigations on government corruption in Ecuador and had promised to confront gangs and their links to politicians if he won last year’s election.
More:
https://apnews.com/article/ecuador-presidential-candidate-murder-trial-2cf1e1f6a5254d9ad261baedb2e9980e#
Gotta make room at the top for the son of the richest man in Ecuador who lost 5 Presidential campaigns himself. The father controls the largest banana plantation corporation in the country and has been repeatedly in trouble for human rights abuse of workers and child workers.