The US has offered a $5 million (£4 million) reward for information that result in the capture of the “masterminds” behind the assassination of an Ecuadorean presidential candidate.
Fernando Villavicencio, a corruption-fighting activist, was fatally shot in August at a rally.
At the time, the president of Ecuador said organized crime was responsible for the murder.
Additionally, the US offered a $1 million (£800,000) reward for information leading to the capture of any any leaders in the gang responsible for his death.
“The United States will continue to support the people of Ecuador and work to bring to justice individuals who seek to undermine democratic processes through violent crime,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who announced the reward, said on Thursday.
According to Mr. Blinken, the FBI was assisting the investigation, and the reward demonstrated Washington’s dedication to combating organized crime.
Mr. Villavicencio was one of the few candidates to claim ties between organized crime and Ecuadorian government officials during his election campaign. He also focused on fighting corruption and criminal gangs.
The mayor of the Ecuadorian city of Manta was shot dead just a few weeks prior to his death. The Puerto López mayor was assassinated in February while touring his city.
But the most outrageous assault to date—a shooting of a presidential candidate at a public event in the nation’s capital—was a sign of the gangs’ power in Ecuador.
Historically, Ecuador has been a relatively safe and stable nation in Latin America, but crime has increased dramatically in recent years due to the growing influence of the Mexican and Colombian drug cartels, which have infiltrated local gangs.
Police in the country say they have so far detained six Colombian nationals in relation to Mr Villavicencio’s death, but are still searching for other suspects.
The US has previously offered rewards for information on crimes committed in other countries. This week, it announced a reward of up to $5m (£4.1m) to locate Abukar Ali Adan, the deputy leader of the militant organization al-Shabaab, based in Somalia.
The same monetary reward was also provided by the US Drug Enforcement Agency last year in exchange for information that resulted in the capture of top members in the Irish Kinahan organized crime group.
Source-BBC
