The suspects are believed to have ties to organized crime, in keeping with Ecuadorian officers
Police in Ecuador have taken six males into custody over the homicide of presidential hopeful Fernando Villavicencio, the nation’s Inside Ministry mentioned. The politician was shot in broad daylight at a marketing campaign rally earlier this week, days earlier than the following election.
Inside Minister Jose Serrano confirmed the arrests throughout a Thursday press briefing, noting authorities are nonetheless looking for the mastermind behind the assassination. The six suspects have been recognized as Andres M., Jose N., Eddy G., Camilo R., Jules C., and Jhon Rodriguez, all Colombian nationals mentioned to have hyperlinks to organized felony teams.
A police report obtained by the Related Press mentioned the boys have been apprehended throughout a raid on a house in Quito. A big cache of weapons was discovered on the hideout, together with three hand grenades, a submachine gun, a number of pistols and a rifle, Serrano added.
An anti-corruption activist and former lawmaker, Villavicencio was murdered in a hail of bullets whereas departing a marketing campaign occasion within the Ecuadorian capital on Wednesday, the place witnesses reported dozens of pictures fired. One of many assailants, who has not been named, was killed in a shootout with police later that day, in keeping with Ecuador’s lawyer basic’s workplace.
Officers revealed further particulars concerning the slaying on Thursday, with President Guillermo Lasso stating that one of many gunmen hurled a grenade at police whereas making an attempt to flee the scene. The system didn’t go off, nonetheless, and officers later detonated it in a managed setting. A handgun was additionally discovered within the space, investigators mentioned.
The federal government has responded to the homicide with heightened safety measures and a state of emergency, stationing police and troopers throughout the nation all through the following presidential race, which is about to kick off on August 20. The election will go on as scheduled, with the pinnacle of Ecuador’s election council, Diana Atamaint, saying the date is “unalterable.”
“The vote of the Ecuadorian folks would be the greatest reply to the mafias and their allies,” the inside minister added.
The workplace of President Lasso mentioned Quito reached out to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation for help, and that an FBI delegation would arrive in Ecuador someday within the coming days. The White Home has deemed Villavicencio’s killing “very surprising,” with Nationwide Safety Council spokesman John Kirby calling for a “full, full and clear investigation.”
9 others have been injured throughout Wednesday’s capturing, together with two law enforcement officials and one other political candidate. The incident marked the primary assassination of a presidential contender in Ecuador’s historical past, prompting a number of different candidates to droop their campaigns.
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