International
Murder of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio shocks Ecuador
August 10|
Ecuador’s presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, a champion of the anti-corruption fight and known for his statements against criminal gangs and drug trafficking, was killed on Wednesday in Quito in a shooting attack outside a political rally, just over a week before the general elections and amid a wave of violence affecting various parts of the South American country.
Villavicencio died in a clinic 100 meters from the site of the attack, while police carried out a controlled explosion of a grenade that had been thrown in front of the rally site.
After the death was confirmed, presidential candidate Otto Sonnenholzner, of the Actuemos coalition, called on the other candidates to stop campaigning and come together to form a single force in the fight against crime.
President Guillermo Lasso, who called the murder a “political crime” and said it was intended to “sabotage the electoral process”, confirmed that the election date would be kept, albeit with additional security measures including a military deployment.
He also decreed three days of national mourning for the death of Villavicencio.
The Attorney General’s Office informed near midnight on the social network X, formerly Twitter, that six people have been arrested in connection with Villavicencio’s murder. Earlier it had specified that a suspect in the attack was wounded during the exchange of bullets with security personnel, was apprehended and taken badly wounded to the Flagrancy Unit in Quito, where he died of his wounds.
The criminal organization that calls itself “Los Lobos” published a statement on the social network X — formerly known as Twitter — claiming responsibility for the murder of Fernando Villavicencio and threatening that “it will happen again when the corrupt don’t keep their word.
Villavicencio was one of eight registered candidates for the August 20 presidential election. The 59-year-old politician was not among the favorites, with a meager 10% of the preferences, although he was a recognized figure for having denounced in the past several cases of alleged government corruption.
He was married to Verónica Sarauz and leaves five children.
In recent days, the presidential hopeful had publicly denounced that the leader of a local criminal group linked to Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel had threatened him, although so far no Ecuadorian authorities have pointed to any specific criminal organization. Villavicencio had also alleged links between politicians and drug traffickers.
In the last video in which he is seen alive, he is seen leaving the school grounds where the political rally was held surrounded by police, who help him into a vehicle. Before closing the door, a series of gunshots and desperate shouts from supporters can be heard.
Following the attack, Ecuadorian authorities did not disclose the possible motive behind the attack. Patricio Zuquilanda, an advisor to the candidate’s campaign, told The Associated Press that Villavicencio had received two death threats, although he did not give further details.
International
Foro Penal Reports 404 Political Prisoners Still Held in Venezuela
The Venezuelan human rights organization Foro Penal, which leads legal defense efforts for political prisoners in the country, reported on Wednesday that 404 people remain imprisoned for political reasons, five fewer than the figure released a week earlier. Among those detained are 39 foreign nationals or individuals with dual citizenship.
According to data published by the organization, the current total includes 369 men and 35 women being held on political grounds. The report also indicates that 225 of the detainees are civilians, including one teenager, while 179 are members of the military.
Foro Penal stated that 167 of the prisoners have been convicted, whereas 237 remain behind bars without a final sentence. The organization also noted that it has documented 19,102 politically motivated detentions in Venezuela since 2014.
The updated figures come amid an ongoing process of prisoner releases announced by Venezuelan authorities. Two weeks ago, National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez said that approximately 300 detainees would be freed as part of a new round of releases, separate from those granted under an amnesty approved earlier this year.
Days later, acting President Delcy Rodríguez stated that the number of releases would reach 500 in the coming days. However, relatives of political prisoners and human rights organizations have questioned the pace of the process, arguing that the number of verified releases remains significantly lower than the figures announced by the government.
Foro Penal has reported that dozens of prisoners have been released in recent weeks, but the organization maintains that hundreds of people continue to be detained for political reasons despite the government’s promises and the implementation of the amnesty process.
Families of detainees have continued to demand greater transparency regarding the release process, alleging that many of the promised excarcerations have yet to materialize and calling on authorities to provide clear information about those who remain in custody.
International
Eight Bodies Found in Ecuador as Authorities Probe Link to Missing Persons Case
Ecuadorian police reported on Wednesday the discovery of eight bodies inside bags in a coastal area of southwestern Ecuador known as a strategic corridor for drug trafficking, as the country continues to grapple with an unprecedented wave of violence.
Authorities are now investigating whether the victims are the same eight people who disappeared on Sunday while traveling to complete a personal errand.
“We have confirmed that there are eight bodies,” said Colonel Galo Muñoz, the police chief for the area, during a press briefing. The bodies were found on the outskirts of the city of Babahoyo.
Interior Minister John Reimberg stated that investigators recovered a note near the bodies suggesting the killings may have been an attack carried out by the criminal organization Los Lobos against Los Choneros, two of Ecuador’s most powerful and violent criminal groups.
According to Muñoz, the bodies were wrapped and transported to a forensic center where specialists will work to establish their identities.
Milagro prosecutor Modesto Freire said the condition of the remains has complicated the identification process.
“The victims’ faces cannot be seen because the bodies are inside bags,” Freire explained.
In a statement posted on social media, Ecuador’s Attorney General’s Office said investigators are collecting evidence to determine whether the remains correspond to the eight individuals reported missing on May 31.
The discovery underscores the ongoing security crisis in Ecuador, where escalating violence linked to organized crime and drug trafficking has become one of the country’s most pressing challenges.
Central America
El Niño could intensify global climate risks, warns World Meteorological Organization
Latin American countries, one of the regions in the world most affected by El Niño, must “take extreme precautions” and make use of so-called “climate intelligence” to mitigate the most severe impacts of the phenomenon, the Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Celeste Saulo, told EFE on Tuesday.
With a 90% probability, El Niño is expected to return in the second half of this year, and a strong intensity cannot be ruled out.
As a result, the phenomenon could trigger intense rainfall and flooding in some areas, while causing droughts in others, leading to direct impacts on communities and a wide range of economic sectors, including fishing and agriculture.
Saulo said countries in the region have improved their scientific and institutional capacity to monitor and respond to El Niño, as well as to understand how it interacts with other climate variables, including those linked to climate change, in order to better forecast “more or less severe impacts.”
When describing likely consequences in South and Central America, the Argentine scientist first referred to the “Coastal El Niño,” as the phenomenon is known in Peru and Ecuador.
She explained that this event brings increased rainfall and ocean warming, which strongly affects the fishing industry.
She added that northern South America, Central America, and northeastern Brazil are typically exposed to below-normal rainfall or drought conditions. In past extreme episodes, El Niño has even affected the operational capacity of the Panama Canal and created serious water access and management challenges during severe droughts.
In contrast, southeastern South America—including southern Brazil, Paraguay, northern and northeastern Argentina, and Uruguay—can expect above-average rainfall, increasing the risk of flooding, severe storms, and landslides.
Given the potential for fear and misinformation among populations, Saulo urged people to “trust the institutions responsible for meteorological information,” stressing that national meteorological services are the official and authoritative sources in each country.
“These are the ultimate responsible authorities and the voices of expertise,” she emphasized.
The most recent El Niño episode occurred between 2023 and 2024 and was among the five strongest ever recorded, contributing to record global temperatures.
The WMO chief noted that climate models remain uncertain about the intensity of the next El Niño, though more accurate forecasts are expected in the coming weeks.
While climate change has not been proven to increase the frequency or intensity of El Niño events, scientists do know that both can interact and amplify extreme weather impacts, potentially leading to natural disasters.
Although Latin America is often heavily affected, El Niño impacts can also be felt in North America, the Caribbean, central and eastern Africa, parts of Asia, and Australia.
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