Ecuador

Ecuador: Jailed Gang Leader Accused of Villavicencio's Murder

Published MAR 1 2024

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The Facts

Ecuadorian prosecutors investigating the killing of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, which occurred days before the first round of voting last August, have alleged that the crime was planned and ordered from jail.
BBC News
Los Lobos gang faction leader Carlos Edwin Angulo Lara, alias "The Invisible," is said to have given the order to kill Villavicencio from inside the CRS Cotopaxi jail, while Laura Dayanara Castillo — also a faction leader in the gang — allegedly handled the logistics.
Reuters
According to the prosecutor, Angulo had called and sent numerous messages to the shooter, Colombian national Johan Castillo, who succumbed to wounds sustained during a gunfight with police following Villavicencio's assassination.
CuencaHighLife
On Wednesday, a judge ruled that both Angulo and Dayanara would stand trial as co-conspirators in the murder, while three other suspects would be tried as accomplices. A sixth suspect was released due to a lack of evidence.
ap
Six other hitmen, who managed to escape alive from the crime scene but were later captured, died in prison last October, allegedly also on orders from Angulo.
teleSUR English
In January, Ecuador declared 22 gangs — including Los Lobos, which is active in the prison system — terrorist groups, amid the latest surge in violence.
Daily Mail

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The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

The high-profile assassination of Fernando Villavicencio wasn't an isolated incident in violence-ridden Ecuador, as gangs have killed many popular figures — from officials and politicians to athletes, artists, and prominent drug lords. As Quito has sought to curb the rising crime and corruption once and for all with a state of emergency, American support may prove to be crucial.

War on the Rocks

Establishment-critical narrative

One must be disturbingly naive at best to believe that further US interference is what Ecuador needs after the killing of a presidential candidate who had long been a CIA asset. Though Villavicencio fabricated lies to boost the Russiagate invention and resolutely obstructed the impeachment of US-backed Guillermo Lasso, his candidacy had turned him into a dangerous liability for the Agency.