Gang Leader Moved to High-Security Prison in Ecuador

• Villavicencio, anti-corruption activist, shot after campaign event, linked threats to Fito.
• Ecuador, relatively spared from drug cartel violence, shaken by Villavicencio’s assassination.
• Villavicencio’s widow holds state responsible, questions choice of Gonzalez as successor.

Ecuadorian military and police personnel executed a pre-dawn operation to transfer a notorious gang leader, Jose Adolfo Macias, also known as “Fito,” to a high-security prison. Fito stands accused of issuing death threats to Ecuador’s slain presidential candidate, Fernando Villavicencio. Villavicencio, an anti-corruption activist, was fatally shot three times after a campaign event. He had spoken out about threats from Fito, claiming that mentioning the gang Los Choneros would put him in danger.

The assassination of Villavicencio, who campaigned against corruption and drug-related issues, has deeply affected Ecuador—a nation relatively spared from the intense drug cartel violence and corruption experienced by some neighboring countries. While the nation has seen an increase in crime, it has not witnessed the extent of violence seen in others, partially due to the influence of Colombian and Mexican drug cartels.

Following the tragedy, Villavicencio’s political party, Construye, announced Andrea Gonzalez as its new presidential candidate. Gonzalez, with a focus on environmental concerns, is expected to uphold Villavicencio’s legacy. However, Villavicencio’s widow, Veronica Sarauz, held the state accountable for her husband’s death and expressed dissatisfaction with the choice of Gonzalez as his successor.

Villavicencio’s campaign centered on exposing corruption and drug-related issues. He was among the few candidates who alleged connections between organized crime and Ecuadorian government officials. Just before his assassination, he reported alleged irregularities in oil contracts from former President Rafael Correa’s administration, leading to substantial financial losses for the country.

Six Colombians were apprehended in connection with Villavicencio’s murder, while a seventh died in a confrontation. The authorities have not disclosed the identity of those behind the hiring and payment of the hitmen. The gang leader Fito, who had been incarcerated in Prison 8 in Guayaquil since 2011, was shown in security force videos being moved to a different facility.

Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso confirmed that Fito had been relocated to La Roca, a maximum security prison within the same complex. The operation to move Fito reflects the government’s efforts to address organized crime and maintain security within the nation.

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