A seventh man accused in killing of an Ecuador presidential candidate is slain inside prison

QUITO – A seventh man accused in the August assassination of an Ecuadorian presidential candidate used to be killed inside a prison in Ecuador’s capital, government stated Saturday, an afternoon after six others allegedly connected to the crime had been slain in a special lockup.

The killing of the seven suspects took place slightly greater than per week sooner than Ecuador holds a presidential runoff election and as officers combat to provide an explanation for how this used to be conceivable.

The prison device stated in a press unencumber that the man killed used to be being held at a prison in Quito, Ecuador’s capital. It launched no main points of the way it took place and recognized him best “José M.,” with out giving his nationality.

Six Colombian males charged in the Aug. 9 assassination of Fernando Villavicencio had been killed Friday inside a prison in Guayaquil.

President Guillermo Lasso referred to as an emergency assembly of his safety Cabinet, which determined to transport the remainder six suspects in the assassination to another prison, a central authority observation stated. It did not determine the prison to which they had been despatched for safety causes.

The govt additionally fired the prisons device director and the police leader of investigations, the presidential communique place of business stated in a press unencumber.

The killings got here because the Prosecutor’s Office is anticipated to announce quickly the realization of the investigation degree into the killing of Villavicencio, who used to be gunned down whilst leaving a political rally.

The 59-year-old flesh presser had now not been regarded as some of the front-runners for the election’s first spherical on Aug. 20, however his killing in large sunlight used to be a surprising reminder of the surge in crime gripping Ecuador. He had reported being threatened via associates of Mexico’s Sinaloa drug cartel, one of the various world arranged crime teams running in Ecuador.

Ecuador is maintaining the runoff presidential election Oct. 15 pitting the 2 most sensible finishers in the August vote — leftist Luisa González and previous lawmaker Daniel Noboa, who is the son of a banana multi-millionaire.