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Murder of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio shocks Ecuador

Murder of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio shocks Ecuador
Photo: Reuters

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.

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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.

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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.

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International

U.S. Proposes Higher Citizenship Fees and Limits on Immigration Fee Waivers

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed increasing fees related to citizenship applications, while also seeking changes to programs that reduce or waive immigration-related costs for certain applicants.

The proposal would eliminate fee waivers and reduced-fee programs for immigrants whose household incomes are at or below 400% of the federal poverty level.

However, the changes would not take effect immediately. Before receiving final approval, the proposal must go through a 60-day public comment period, allowing individuals and organizations to submit feedback.

DHS justified the proposed increases by stating that the goal is to fully cover the costs associated with processing citizenship and naturalization applications.

“Although the Department of Homeland Security has historically limited form fees to promote naturalization, the agency no longer considers that these applications should have lower costs at the expense of other immigration benefits,” the department said in the proposal document.

If approved, the reform would modify the current immigration fee structure and could impact thousands of applicants who rely on financial assistance programs to complete their citizenship process.

U.S. authorities said the measure is part of a broader review of immigration service fees and the mechanisms used to fund the administration of these programs.

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Cristiano Ronaldo Makes History as First Player to Score in Six World Cups

Cristiano Ronaldo made football history on Tuesday by becoming the first player ever to score in six different editions of the FIFA World Cup.

The Portuguese forward opened the scoring in Portugal’s Group K match against Uzbekistan in Houston. Just six minutes into the game, Ronaldo found the back of the net with a right-footed strike from inside the box, sending the Portuguese fans into celebration.

The “Commander” sparked excitement throughout the stadium with his iconic celebration, as supporters joined in with his famous “Siuuu!” chant to honor another milestone in the career of one of football’s greatest stars.

At 41 years old, Ronaldo has now scored in Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018, Qatar 2022, and North America 2026. With his two goals in this tournament, he has surpassed Lionel Messi’s record, as the Argentine has scored in every World Cup he played except South Africa 2010.

The Portuguese captain has also reached nine World Cup goals, matching Eusébio as Portugal’s all-time top scorer in the history of the tournament.

Ronaldo’s achievement came just one day after Messi also made history by becoming the outright leading scorer in World Cup history, reaching 18 goals after scoring twice in Argentina’s 2-0 victory over Austria.

With his appearance at the 2026 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo has also extended another remarkable record by becoming the first player to participate in six consecutive editions of the tournament, further cementing his legacy as one of the most influential players in football history.

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Mbappé Ties Klose on All-Time World Cup Scoring List After Brace Against Iraq

Kylian Mbappé moved another step closer to World Cup history on Monday, scoring twice against Iraq to reach 16 career goals in the tournament and draw level with German legend Miroslav Klose on the all-time scoring chart.

The French forward found the net in the 14th and 54th minutes of France’s Group I clash in Philadelphia, registering his second consecutive brace of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Mbappé’s achievement came on the same day that Argentina captain Lionel Messi set a new all-time World Cup scoring record. The Argentine star scored twice against Austria to raise his career total to 18 goals, surpassing the previous mark of 16 held by Klose.

Klose established his record on July 8, 2014, during Germany’s historic 7-1 victory over Brazil in the World Cup semifinals in Belo Horizonte.

Before facing Iraq, Mbappé was tied with German striker Gerd Müller on 14 World Cup goals. His first goal of the match lifted him to 15, drawing level with Brazilian great Ronaldo Nazário.

The second strike moved the Real Madrid forward to 16 goals, allowing him to surpass Ronaldo, match Klose’s tally, and position himself just two goals behind Messi in the race for World Cup immortality.

The match also marked a personal milestone for Mbappé, as he made his 100th appearance for the French national team.

At 27 years old, the French superstar remains firmly in pursuit of Messi’s newly established record and continues to strengthen his legacy as one of the most prolific scorers in World Cup history.

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