PRISON DEATHS

Men Accused of Killing Presidential Candidate in Ecuador Found Dead in Prison

President Guillermo Lasso flew back to Ecuador from New York to hold a security cabinet meeting, saying “The truth will be known here.”

Following the August assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate, Fernando Villavicencio, the six Columbian men accused of his murder were found dead in a prison on Friday. The deaths come just eight days before the Oct. 15th run-off election. There has been speculation that the six men were guns-for-hire taking orders from someone else. The U.S. is offering a $5 million reward for information about the masterminds behind the assassination that could lead to an arrest and a million dollars for information about any involvement by potential gang leaders. President Guillermo Lasso said he would immediately hold a security cabinet meeting, saying on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, “The truth will be known here.”