US offers $5m bounty for assassin who shot Ecuadorean presidential candidate
The US is offering a $5 million (£4.1 million) reward for any information that leads to the arrest of the so-called "masterminds" who orchestrated the assassination of an Ecuadorean presidential candidate.
Fernando Villaviencio was shot dead at a rally in August. Ecuador's president at the time said organised crime was behind the killing. A $1 million (£800,00) reward has also been offered for any information on any leaders in the gang responsible for Mr Villaviencio's death. He was a known campaigner against corruption.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: "The United States will continue to support the people of Ecuador and work to bring to justice individuals who seek to undermine democratic processes through violent crime."
People take cover after shots were fired at the end of a rally of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio in Quito, on August 9 (AFP via Getty Images)The investigation is being supported by the FBI, with Mr Blinken adding that the reward shows Washington's commitment to fighting organised crime. He said: "The investigation, supported by the FBI, continued to identify others involved in the assassination."
In a statement, Mr Blinken said: "Multiple assassins attacked Mr Villavicencio, the Movimiento Construye party's presidential candidate in the 2023 elections as he left a Quito campaign event on August 9. The Ecuadorian National Police arrested six Colombian nationals, believed to be part of a Colombian organised crime group, as part of the assassination plot."
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Mr Villavicencio's campaign for election had focused on tackling corruption and criminal gangs. He was one of the few candidates to allege that there were links between organised crime and government officials in the country. He was a serving congressman and former journalist, and condemned what he said was the lenient approach to the gangs. He said that were he to come to power, there would be a crackdown.
Just weeks before Mr Villavicencio was killed, the mayor of the Ecuadorian city of Manta was also shot dead. The mayor of Puerto López was murdered while touring his city. But the shooting of Mr Villavicencio at a public event in the country's capital was the boldest attack so far. It acted as a testimony to the strength of Ecuador's gangs.
Ecuador's presidential candidate, former legislator Fernando Villavicencio, speaks during an interview with EFE in Quito (Jose Jacome/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)Historically, Ecuador has been a relatively safe and stable country in Latin America. However, in recent years crime has escalated, fuelled by the growing presence of Colombian and Mexican drug cartels, which have infiltrated local criminal gangs.
So far, police in the country say they have detained six Colombian nationals in relation to Mr Villacivencio's death. But the search is still on for other suspects.
It's not the first time the US has offered rewards for information on crimes committed in other countries. It also offered a reward this week of up to $5 million (£4.1m) to help find Abukar Ali Adan, deputy leader of the Somalia-based militant group, al-Shabaab. The US Drug Enforcement Agency also offered the same monetary reward last year for information leading to the arrest of top members of the Irish Kinahan organised crime group.
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