Ecuador: Five Candidates Were Assassinated Before the Elections

For almost two centuries of republican history, Ecuador has been a territory practically free of political violence. During the administration of President Guillermo Lasso, however, that tradition began to change.

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"With a public acceptance at the lowest levels, Lasso is playing it on Sunday! Over the last 18 months, Lasso has been in charge of an administration full of corruption scandals and zero works, without medicines for hospitals, and attacks with hitmen every the days. Mr. Lasso, does your supposed referendum solve the problems?," commented outlet Zoom Ec.

On Saturday afternoon, Omar Menendez, the Citizens Revolution's canditate for mayor of Puerto Lopez city, added to the list of politicians assassinated prior to the subnational elections on Feb. 5 . Over the last few months, four candidates have also been shot dead.

"The situation is critical. There have been at least 15 attacks in different areas of the country during this electoral process," radio Pichincha recalled, commenting that political parties have sought private security to carry out their campaigns.

On January 21, the candidate for mayor of Salinas city, Julio Cesar Farachi, was shot by a hit man while he was carrying out political activities. A day later, the Interior Minister Juan Zapata reported on the arrest of the alleged mastermind.

Former President Rafael Correa's tweet reads, "What is happening in Ecuador is truly a nightmare. Homeland!, What did they do to you?"

Outsiders' tweet reads, "Attention: an attack on the house of Franklin Espinoza, the candidate for mayor of El Carmen, was reported. This took place minutes after the assassination in Puerto Lopez. Espinoza is also a member of the Citizen Revolution."

Also, Richard Firmat, a candidate for mayor of Simon Bolivar, was the victim of a gunshot attack on January 9. This happened while he were traveling to the Pueblo Arrecho sector in the Guayas province.

In October, 2022, Boris Intriago, the New People's candidate for Mayor of Santo Domingo, died in a traffic accident on the Santo Domingo–La Concordia highway. That same month, Alba Bermeo, the Popular Union candidate for councilor in the Molleturo parish, died in Cuenca.

In August, 2022, journalist Gerardo Delgado, the Citizen Revolution candidate for councilor for the city of Manta, died.

"These events are not isolated," radio Pichincha commented regarding murders whose victims are militants of progressive parties.