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The murder of the politician in Ecuador / Prison gangs reign in terror

2023-08-10 16:44:00, Kosova & Bota CNA
The murder of the politician in Ecuador / Prison gangs reign in terror
Fernando Villavicencio's campaign slogan was: "It's time for the brave"

"Here we pay for democracy with our lives."

Five years ago, Fernando Villavicencio shouted as he spoke these words into the microphone at a campaign rally.

Just a few moments before he died from a hail of bullets, these words could have been dismissed as an exaggeration, a rhetorical flourish, writes the BBC.

But the candidate in the upcoming presidential elections was shot dead as he was leaving the rally in the capital, Quito.

His killing is not an isolated incident.

A mayor shot while inspecting public works, bodies hanging from bridges, gang leaders releasing videos threatening to kill politicians if they don't do their bidding, a seemingly endless agony of violence has dominated the headlines this place previously known for its safety.

By 2022, Ecuador's homicide rate had more than quadrupled, and Ecuadorians' perception of safety had dropped significantly, along with their trust in the police to keep them safe.

Ecuador is located between Colombia and Peru, the two largest producers of cocaine in the world.

Cocaine production recently hit a record high, according to the United Nations Global Cocaine Report 2023.

Mexican drug cartels and criminal groups from the Balkans have gained a foothold in South America.

These groups were eager to explore new ways to transport cocaine produced in Colombia to its buyers in Europe and the United States.

As previously lawless areas in Colombia came under the control of state forces following the peace deal signed between the Colombian government and Farc rebels in 2016, the need for new roads became more urgent.

These transnational criminal groups increasingly viewed Ecuador as an attractive transit country for their drug shipments. /CNA





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