Ecuadorian Presidential Candidate Had a Chilling Message Just Days Before Assass

[Ptarmigan]

Ecuadorian Presidential Candidate Had a Chilling Message Just Days Before Assassination
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/leahbarkoukis/2023/08/10/conservative-presidential-candidate-assassinated-in-ecuador-n2626852

Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was assassinated as he was leaving a political rally in Quito.

Video circulating on X, formerly known as Twitter, shows the former journalist surrounded by guards escorting him to a car. At least a dozen shots are then fired, prompting panic and screams from the crowd. 

While the 59-year-old, who was an outspoken critic of corruption and violence in the state due to problems associated with drug trafficking, was not the frontrunner, he was among eight candidates in the race. 

The Aug. 20 election will continue as planned, according to Electoral Council President Diana Atamaint.

Incumbent President Guillermo Lasso blamed organized crime and announced a state of emergency for 60 days, mobilized the armed forces across the country, and called for three days of national mourning.

Presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was assassinated by Colombian gangs.

"A few days ago, after the assassination of Mayor Intriago, there was a discussion about what to do with the campaign, suspend it some days, or redouble security. Fernando was radical about it and shared on his social media: 'Guarding silence and hiding in moments when criminals assassin citizens and authorities is an act of cowardice.'"

According to Bloomberg, Villavicencio was a critic of the leftist former President Rafael Correa and was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2014 for allegedly slandering him. A fugitive for three years, Villavicencio went to Peru until 2017.

Even Mayor Agustín Intriago was assassinated. He was the mayor of Manta.

[SVPete]

Manta isn't as large or well known as Quito and Guayaquil, but it is a major city by Ecuadorian standards.

From what I've heard, drug cartels or gangs (or whatever the term is) have pretty much overrun much of Ecuador, and the current President has lip-flapped some while doing little. Villavicencio was promising to take action, and apparently the drug lords believed he was serious.

[Old n Grumpy]

With the open borders and drugs and human trafficking going on it won’t be long till it looks like that here.