Prior to the shooting, Villavicencio stated that he had received multiple death threats, including from members of Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, one of numerous international organized crime organizations currently operating in Ecuador. He stated that his campaign posed a threat to such organizations.
Here, I present my visage. “I’m not afraid of them,” Villavicencio said in a statement, referring to detained criminal boss “Fito” José Adolfo Macas.
Villavicencio was not the frontrunner among the eight candidates. The 59-year-old politician was the Build Ecuador Movement’s candidate.
Ida Paez, a supporter, stated that Villavicencio’s campaign gave her confidence that the country could defeat the gangs. She stated at the rally, “We were delighted. Even Fernando danced. His final words were, “Whoever meddles with the people meddles with my family.”
Since drug traffickers began using the country’s coastal ports, Ecuadorians have witnessed a level of violence not witnessed in decades. Many major cities are filled with the noises of gunfire as rival gangs battle for control, and gangs have recruited children.
The mayor of the coastal city of Manta was murdered just one month ago. In an effort to stop the violence, Lasso declared a state of emergency on July 26 for two provinces and the country’s penal system.
Otto Sonnenholzner, a former vice president and candidate, stated at a news conference following Wednesday’s murder, “We are dying, drowning in a sea of weeping, and we do not deserve to live this way. We insist that you take action.”
