Ecuador: Local Politician Slain Following Assassination of Presidential Candidate

Another political leader was killed on Monday, August 14, as unprecedented violence rocked Ecuador. This tragic incident increases the total number of political-related killings in the country in the previous weeks, including a presidential contender.

Another Prominent Political Figure Assassinated

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(Photo: GALO PAGUAY / AFP via Getty Images) Supporters of murdered presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio take part in a demonstration to demand justice for his death in Quito, on August 10, 2023. Villavicencio, a 59-year-old anti-corruption crusader who had complained of receiving threats, was murdered as he was leaving a stadium in Quito after holding a campaign rally, officials said.

Pedro Briones, a local official of Revolución Ciudadana, was shot and killed in the northern province of Esmeraldas. NBC News reported that this was verified by Luisa González, the frontrunner in the special presidential election on Sunday, August 13.

Both Briones and González are members of the party, which is of former President Rafael Correa.

"Ecuador is experiencing its bloodiest era. A heartfelt hug to the family of colleague Pedro Briones, fallen by the hands of violence," González posted on X (previously Twitter).

Briones, a political leader in a rural area of San Mateo de Esmeraldas, was murdered less than a week after the assassination in public of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, who was known for taking a hard line against crime and corruption.

On August 9, local officials reported that a gang of gunmen murdered Villavicencio. Despite having police and bodyguards with him, he was slain at the conclusion of a political gathering in the capital city of Quito. Two days later, officials have confirmed that the six suspects arrested in Villavicencio's murder are all Colombian nationals.

Briones and Villavicencio's murders followed the shooting death of the mayor of Manta, Ecuador's third biggest city, on July 26. In May, 38-year-old Agustín Intriago was sworn in for a second term as mayor.

Ecuador Plagued by Violent Street Gangs

Over the last three years, thousands of people have been murdered in Ecuador as the nation has become a major drug trafficking center and local gangs. The election on Sunday has been surrounded by issues of crime and violence.

González told the AP News that she had increased the size of her security detail in the wake of Villavicencio's murder. Despite the widespread crime, she said she still would not wear a bulletproof vest on the grounds that she is a Christian lady. "I have faith in God; he is the one who takes care of us."

González attacked President Guillermo Lasso's administration for failing to maintain order in prisons, which she said had become the playgrounds and workplaces of members of organized crime.

If elected, she has promised to crack down on crime by reforming the police, tightening security at the border, and bolstering the police department's weaponry.

Since 2021, there have been at least 400 prisoner deaths due to riots.