Ecuador’s Unbreakable Resolve in the Fight Against Corruption: Tragedies and Determination

Ecuadorian politics has been shaken by a series of violent incidents. The most recent victims are two political candidates who have vowed to fight corruption and dismantle criminal organizations connected to political figures.

Fernando Villavicencio, a candidate running for president under the Build Ecuador Movement, was assassinated outside a school gym in Quito.

This tragic event occurred just moments after he had given a passionate speech promising to combat corruption and put criminals behind bars.

Villavicencio, a fearless advocate for justice, publicly expressed his determination to confront these threats directly, even naming the notorious criminal ‘Fito’ Macías in his final statement.

24 horas después del asesinato del candidato presidencial en Ecuador, Villavicencio, otro intento contra candidata a Asamblea Nacional Estefany Puente. Reitero, el crecimiento de homicidios no fue con Correa (2007-17) sinó con Moreno (2017-21) y se multiplicó con Lasso (2021-23) pic.twitter.com/dR9T1W4aA7

— Aníbal Garzón 🌎 (@AnibalGarzon) August 11, 2023

The very next day, Estefany Puente, a candidate for Congress in Ecuador’s National Assembly, narrowly escaped an assassination attempt.

Two suspects on a motorcycle opened fire on her vehicle in Quevedo, a city in the province of Los Ríos. Puente was grazed by a bullet on her left arm, but fortunately survived the attack.

Despite this terrifying experience, Puente remains committed to rooting out corruption from public institutions.

These incidents have shocked the nation, underscoring the dangerous intersection of politics and crime in Ecuador.

Both Villavicencio and Puente had made it their mission to dismantle criminal organizations connected to political figures, a stance that may have put them in harm’s way.

In response to Villavicencio’s assassination, Ecuadorian authorities arrested six Colombian suspects and charged them with illicit drug trafficking. One additional suspect died following a shootout with the police.

All seven men had previous criminal records in both Ecuador and Colombia. However, as of Friday, no arrests had been made in connection with the assassination attempt on Puente.

🇪🇨 | URGENTE: Atentan contra Estefany Puente, candidata al Parlamento ecuatoriano, luego de que dispararan contra su vehículo. pic.twitter.com/WLnMGLuJuo

— Alerta News 24 (@AlertaNews24) August 11, 2023

Villavicencio’s murder has been described by Ecuador’s Interior Minister Juan Zapata as a ‘political crime of a terrorist nature’, with the intent to disrupt the upcoming August 20 elections.

In response, President Guillermo Lasso declared three days of national mourning and a state of emergency, deploying additional military personnel throughout the country.

Despite these tragic events, the spirit of democracy remains unbroken in Ecuador. Puente, who is running under the Popular Unity Movement, pledged to continue her work alongside the party’s presidential candidate Yaku Pérez to eradicate corruption and imprison ‘white-collar’ criminals.

These incidents serve as a stark reminder of the high stakes involved in the fight against corruption.

As the people of Ecuador mourn the loss of Villavicencio and rally around Puente, their determination to stand against corruption and criminality remains stronger than ever.

This article appeared in Watch Dog News and has been published here with permission.