Ecuador charges ex-minister over presidential candidate assassination case

What the report says

Ecuadorian prosecutors have charged former interior minister José Serrano and six other people over the 2023 killing of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, according to BBC World News. The case concerns the fatal shooting at a campaign event in Quito, days before the election, which shocked the country and intensified attention on organised crime and political violence.

The BBC reports that the Attorney General’s Office says the seven suspects had an indirect role in the assassination, with several alleged links to the Los Lobos criminal gang. Among those named are Wilmer “Pipo” Chavarria, identified as the gang’s leader, and senior Los Lobos member Luis Arboleda. Five of the accused are considered fugitives. The office has sought Interpol red notices for several suspects, including Serrano, Xavier Jordán and former assemblyman Ronny Aleaga, while Chavarria is in Spain and faces an extradition request.

Villavicencio, a journalist-turned-lawmaker known for anti-corruption campaigning, had received security protection after repeated threats. The BBC notes that five people connected to the gang were jailed in 2024 over the attack, while the alleged gunman was killed at the scene and other suspects died in prison before trial.

The development matters because it keeps alive one of Ecuador’s most significant political-crime cases and highlights the pressure cartels have placed on the country’s institutions. A judge will decide whether the evidence is sufficient for a full trial.