The Assassination of Villavicencio

The Assassination of Villavicencio 

Expert on political murder: The guards abandoned him  

There were obvious deficiencies in the security surrounding the Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio when he was shot to death shortly after an election meeting in Quito on Wednesday, writes El Universo. 

The 59-year-old would have been formally protected by a private security company, as well as by the national police, but both failed to save his life.  

Marco Heredia Romero, a captain in Ecuador's army and an expert on security issues, has analyzed a video depicting the last seconds before the assassination.  

According to him, the bodyguards failed in several ways. 

- They closed the car door and left the candidate alone in a car. They gave him to them, as we in the security industry usually say, says Heredia Romero.  

Six men have been arrested for the murder and the country's authorities have promised to get to the bottom of what happened. 

Presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio minutes before he was shot to death. AP 

Wave of violence against politicians in Ecuador - fight against the gangs 

The murder of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio in Ecuador is just one in a series of political acts in the country, AP writes. 

As recently as July, the mayor Agustin Intriago was murdered in Manta - a politician who was also openly critical of organized crime.  

During his campaign, Villavicencio tried to tell himself and those around him that the public was protecting him. His campaign also had the mantra: "Time to be brave". 

- You are my bulletproof vest. I don't need anyone. You are brave and I am as brave as you, Villavicencio said at a recent rally.  

The violence in Ecuador has become more tangible in recent years. One explanation is believed to be that the country is sandwiched between the world's two largest cocaine-producing countries: Peru and Colombia.  

Several large drug cartels are therefore also established in Ecuador.  

Police are investigating the crime scene where Villavicencio was shot to death. Juan Diego Montenegro / AP  

The police: All the murder suspects came from Colombia  

The six people arrested for involvement in the murder of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio all have a Colombian background, according to the police, according to the BBC.  

A seventh suspect, who died in a shootout with police, was also Colombian.  

Interior Minister Juan Zapata has promised that the countries will do everything to get to the bottom of the motive and those who may have ordered the murder.  

Villavicencio was an outspoken opponent of organized crime and highlighted corruption as a major problem during his campaign.