Ecuador was rocked by a second political assassination in a week as Pedro Briones, a local party leader, was shot dead at his residence in the northern Esmeraldas province on Monday. This incident follows the daylight murder of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio just five days prior in the capital city of Quito. The string of killings is raising concerns over rising levels of organized crime and corruption as the country prepares for a snap presidential election.
Briones, a member of the Citizen Revolution party and a leader in the local political scene, was shot by unidentified gunmen who fled on a motorcycle. This tragic event further highlights the violent political landscape in the country. Luisa Gonzalez, a prominent figure in the Citizen Revolution party and a leading contender in the upcoming election, expressed deep concern on social media, describing Ecuador’s current situation as “its bloodiest era.”
Esmeraldas province, located on the border with Colombia, has been a hotspot for violence due to its strategic location for drug trafficking to the United States and Europe. This geographical advantage has made the region susceptible to clashes between local gangs and cartels, contributing to the wave of drug-related violence in the country.
Former Ecuadorian president and founder of the Citizen Revolution party, Rafael Correa, emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, “They murdered another of our colleagues in Esmeraldas. Enough is enough!“
These recent assassinations are shedding light on the escalating drug-related violence in Ecuador over the past few years. Gang conflicts, fueled by cartel involvement from Colombia and Mexico, have led to thousands of deaths and widespread insecurity. As the election approaches, policies addressing this violence have taken center stage in the political discourse.
Saturday witnessed a significant development as the leader of one of Ecuador’s most powerful gangs, Los Choneros, was transferred to a maximum security facility. This move came after Villavicencio had linked the gang’s leader to the influential Sinaloa drug cartel in Mexico and received threats from the group before his own assassination.
Ecuador is on edge as the upcoming election approaches, with the assassination of a party leader and a prominent candidate highlighting the pressing need for measures to tackle the alarming rise in violence and organized crime.
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