Ecuador Arrests Colombian Suspects in Presidential Candidate Assassination

Six suspects arrested in connection with the assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio are Colombian nationals and gang members. Villavicencio, an anti-corruption campaigner, was shot dead at a campaign rally in Quito. The killing comes amid a deadly escalation of violence in Ecuador, fueled by drug trafficking and a turf war between criminal organizations. The attack prompted Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso to request help from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, and he declared a state of emergency for 60 days. The assassination has sparked condemnation from around the world, and a judge has ordered the preventive detention of the suspects.