Ecuador charges 7 in 2023 killing of candidate Villavicencio
What's next: Prosecutors want Interpol notices and extraditions from the US, Spain and Venezuela as five suspects remain fugitives.
Ecuador prosecutors charged seven people they accuse of orchestrating the 2023 assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, who was shot at a campaign event in Quito 11 days before the election. Those charged include former Interior Minister Jose Serrano, former lawmaker Ronny Aleaga, businessman Xavier Jordan and alleged Los Lobos leader Wilmer Chavarria, known as Pipo. Prosecutors allege Jordan financed and planned the killing, Serrano supplied information on Villavicencio’s movements, and Aleaga coordinated the attack. Chavarria, held in Spain, allegedly planned the murder for $1 million. Five others were convicted in 2024, while the suspected gunman was killed at the scene.