Polls in Ecuador elect murdered as mayor in Puerto López

• Omar Menéndez, a candidate for mayor of Ecuador, was murdered just hours before voting began.
• And other politicians were assassinated in the run-up to the election.
• Gunmen entered the room where Omar Menéndez was with workers and opened fire.

In the city of Puerto López, a candidate for mayor of Ecuador who was assassinated just hours before voting began won the election.

On Saturday, gunmen entered the room where Omar Menéndez, 41, was with campaign workers and opened fire, killing him.

The assault also claimed the life of a teenager. Police are currently looking into the potential cause of it.

The slain politician’s replacement as mayor is anticipated to be a member of Mr. Menéndez’s party.

The Andean nation was seeing an uptick in crime at the time of the municipal elections, which was attributed to the violent drug gangs’ expanding power there.

There were other politicians assassinated in the run-up to the election besides Mr. Menéndez. Julio César Farachio, a candidate for mayor of the coastal town of Salinas, had also been shot and killed two weeks prior.

A suspect in Farachio’s murder who had previously threatened the 45-year-old candidate has been taken into custody by police.

According to local media, the suspect was just just freed from prison after serving a sentence for narcotics trafficking.

Assailants who shot Omar Menéndez to death and escaped on a motorcycle have not yet been apprehended.

Guillermo Lasso, the president, denounced the killings.

Along with Mr. Menéndez, several politicians were slain in the run-up to the election. Two weeks earlier, Salinas, a seaside town, had lost its mayoral candidate Julio César Farachio to gunfire.

Police have detained a suspect in Farachio’s murder who had previously made threats against the 45-year-old contender.

The suspect was just released from prison after serving a sentence for drug trafficking, according to the local media.

Omar Menéndez was killed by gunfire, and the attackers fled on a motorcycle without being caught.

The president, Guillermo Lasso, condemned the killings.

The ferocity with which the drug lords resist their extradition, according to Colombian officials, implies that they view a sentence in a US prison, where they have no connections and no power over guards and prison directors, as a particularly severe punishment.

However, the initiative to amend Ecuador’s constitution to permit the extradition of Ecuadoreans just fell short, being rejected by 51% of voters.

When the people speak, it is our responsibility to analyze, comprehend, and respect their will, according to President Lasso, who declared that he accepted the outcome.

Also Read

Gunmen attacks hospital in Ecuador, attempting to kill a teen

Seven gunmen who invaded a hospital in Ecuador have been detained by...