Ecuador charges ex-minister, six others in presidential candidate's assassination

Ecuador's Attorney General's Office has charged a former Interior Minister and six other individuals in connection with the 2023 assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. The charges target José Serrano, who served as Interior Minister from 2011 to 2016 under President Rafael Correa, and his alleged links to the Los Lobos cartel. Serrano, currently in the United States and protected from deportation, is accused of being one of the intellectual authors of the crime and of supplying the cartel with information about Villavicencio's movements.

Villavicencio, a former journalist turned legislator, was known for his strong anti-corruption stance and his vocal denunciations of ties between organized crime and government officials. He continued campaigning despite receiving numerous death threats and having a security detail. His assassination occurred during a campaign event in Quito just days before the 2023 elections.

In 2024, five individuals linked to the Los Lobos cartel were convicted for their direct involvement in the assassination. The alleged gunman died at the scene. "Pipo" Chavarría, identified as a leader of Los Lobos, was arrested in Spain last year after faking his own death. The Attorney General's office stated that the seven individuals charged on Saturday played an indirect role in the murder, with five currently considered fugitives. Other fugitives include Xavier Jordán and former assemblyman Ronny Aleaga, who are in the United States and Venezuela, respectively.

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Germany has become a regular target of destabilizing attacks.