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☆ Ecuador referendum: Early results and gang member’s arrest give President Daniel Noboa’s war on crime a boost
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Abel Alvarado | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Early results from Ecuador’s referendum suggest President Daniel Noboa has won public backing for security measures aimed at boosting his war on crime. And the good news for Noboa was compounded Monday when police announced they had arrested a notorious alleged gang leader. Both those proposals would require modifying Ecuador’s Constitution, which currently forbids the extradition of Ecuadorians under any circumstances. Gang leader arrestedIn another boost for Noboa, police said in a post on X that they had arrested notorious alleged gang leader Fabricio Colon Pico on Monday morning. Thirty-eight other inmates had escaped along with Colon Pico, of which 12 have since been recaptured, Ecuador’s penitentiary service told CNN.

Persons: Daniel Noboa, Noboa, ”, Guillermo Lasso, Fabricio Colon Pico, Colon Pico, Diana Salazar, Colon Pico’s jailbreak, – José Adolfo Macías, Choneros – Organizations: CNN, National Electoral Council, National Assembly, Noboa, Los Lobos Locations: Ecuadorians, Quito, Ecuadorian, Riobamba

☆ Prison director killed in attack as Ecuador votes in referendum focused on crime
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Ana María Cañizares | Marlon Sorto | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The director of an Ecuadorian prison known as “El Rodeo” was killed Sunday in an attack that came as millions of people in the country headed to the polls for a referendum focused largely on President Daniel Noboa’s war on crime. Ecuador Prosecutor’s Office reported that another person was injured in the attack and that officers on the scene have started an investigation. Parrales was killed the same day that Ecuadorians were called to the polls for a referendum dominated by security issues that could bolster President Daniel Noboa’s agenda to fight crime. Noboa hopes those measures will help him rein in burgeoning levels of organized crime linked to drug cartels. Ecuador was once known as an “island of peace,” nestled between the world’s two largest cocaine producers, Peru and Colombia.

Persons: ”, Daniel Noboa’s, Cosme Damián Parrales Merchán, SNAI, Parrales, CNNE, Noboa, Adolfo Macias Organizations: CNN, SNAI, Ecuador Prosecutor’s, Social Rehabilitation, Ecuadorian National Police Locations: Ecuador, Ecuadorians, ”, Peru, Colombia, United States, Europe, Mexico, Guayaquil

☆ Ecuadorians head to polls for referendum as Noboa seeks backing for war on crime
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Abel Alvarado | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The referendum will ask 11 questions, five that will modify the Constitution if approved and six that are advisory. More than 13 million of Ecuador’s population of nearly 18 million are eligible to vote – and in Ecuador, voting is obligatory. “We require urgent reforms that allow us to protect our security,” Noboa told a military event in March. In response to the escape, the government deployed more than 3,000 police officers and members of the armed forces to find Fito. The referendum has met opposition among some groups who claim the matters can be dealt with in the National Assembly.

Persons: Daniel Noboa, ”, he’s, ” Noboa, John Moore, Guillermo Lasso, Fernando Villavicencio, Adolfo Macias, Noboa, “, CNN’s Christiana Amanpour, Jorge Glas, Glas, Karen Toro Organizations: CNN, National Police, Armed Forces, Ecuadorian National Police, United Nations, Reuters, National Assembly Locations: Quito, Ecuadorian, Ecuador, Ecuadorians, Guayaquil, ”, Peru, Colombia, United States, Europe, Mexico, Mexican

☆ Ecuadorians wanted an action man. President Noboa has fulfilled that role — embassy raid included
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The President of the Republic of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, during the Spain-Ecuador business meeting at the headquarters of the CEOE, on 25 January, 2024 in Madrid, Spain. "President Noboa has given a strong message to the nation," said Carlos Galecio, a political communications consultant and coordinator of the communications program at Ecuador's Casa Grande University. "I am in favor of President Noboa's actions. "The priority is to clean, sanitize, continue with a process as important as President Noboa's to put the house in order." "The United States takes very seriously the obligation of host countries under international law to respect diplomatic missions," said Brian Nichols, assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs.

Persons: Daniel Noboa, Daniel Noboa's, Ecuadorians, Noboa, Carlos Galecio, Rafael Correa, Nayib Bukele, Cedatos, Jorge Glas, Glas, Noboa's, Gabriela Sandoval, Roberto Aspiazu, Will Freeman, Freeman, Brian Nichols Organizations: Ecuadorian, Associated Press, Casa Grande University, Statistics, Police, Vienna Convention, America's Pacific Alliance, Foreign Relations, Mexico's, Jalisco New Generation, United, Western Hemisphere Locations: Republic of Ecuador, Spain, Ecuador, Madrid, Belgium, El Salvador, Quito, Vienna, Mexico, The Hague, Noboa, York, Latin America, Colombia, Peru, Mexico's Sinaloa, Jalisco, U.S, United States

The group is now waiting in Mexico City to get an appointment so they can legally cross the U.S.-Mexico border. They are biding time in Mexico City until they have enough money for a phone so they can use CBP One. Mexico deported only about 429 Venezuelans during the first two months of 2024, meaning nearly all are waiting in Mexico. Many fear that venturing north of Mexico City will get them fleeced or returned to southern Mexico. She said they were robbed by Mexican officials and gangs and returned several times to southern Mexico.

Persons: it's, ” Daniel Ventura, Biden, —, Joe Biden, Andres Manuel López Obrador, ”, López Obrador, Yessica Gutierrez, “, Jose Alberto Uzcategui, Stephanie Brewer, Maria Victoria Colmenares, Colmenares, Alejandro Mayorkas, Torrealba, ___, Gonzalez, Rebecca Santana Organizations: MEXICO CITY, U.S, United, Migrants, Washington Office, CBP, . Homeland, Associated Press, Washington , D.C Locations: MEXICO, U.S, Colombia, Panama, Mexico, “, Darien, Fort Atkinson , Wisconsin, Guatemala, Venezuela, Ecuadorians, United States, Mexico City, Venezuelan, Trujillo, Panamanian, America, The U.S, Tijuana, San Diego, Matamoros, Brownsville , Texas, Nicaragua, Washington ,

☆ Ecuador’s drug kingpin José Adolfo ‘Fito’ Macías lived ‘like a king’ while locked up. His jailbreak shines a light on the country’s lawless prisons
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Tara John | David Culver | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Macías’ prison cell is seen in these videos filmed by members of the military last year. Los Choneros and their main rival, Los Lobos, are believed to be allied with Mexican drug cartels in a war for dominance over Ecuador’s drug trade. Los Lobos saw an opening amid a violent power struggle in Los Choneros when Macías became its leader in 2020, say experts. In a music video shared online last year, the Los Choneros leader can be seen petting a rooster, apparently inside Guayaquil prison complex. But the press secretary of Ecuador’s president reckons the Los Choneros leader was told about an impending prison transfer.

Persons: José Adolfo Macías, Adolfo Macias, Fito, ”, Pablo Escobar, Macías, ” Jean Paul Pinto, Glaeldys, Julio Cesar Ballesteros, SNAI, Lenín Moreno, Ballesteros, Diana Salazar, “, ” Jeremy McDermott, it’s, Choneros, González, Mariachi Bravo, Macías ’, Michelle, Bravo, Fito ’, Daniel Noboa, Noboa, Patricia Bullrich, reckons, ” Roberto Izurieta, jailbreak, Fabricio Colón Pico, Ecuador’s Organizations: CNN, Ecuadorean, Forces, Ecuadorean Armed Forces, AFP, roosters, Prisons, Crisis, Los, Los Lobos, US Treasury Department, Ecuavisa, Marriott, Argentina’s, Argentine, Teleamazonas, Police Locations: La Regional, Colombian, Latin America, Ecuadorian, Ecuador, Colombia, SNAI, America, Americas, Los Lobos, Mexican, Choneros, Guayaquil, Guayaquil –, Argentine, Córdoba, Argentina, CNN Ecuador

☆ Ecuador: As terror grips the streets, even the armed forces live in fear
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( David Culver | Abel Alvarado | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Suddenly, residents, including Camille and Diego, found themselves seeking a safe place for themselves and their loved ones. Ecuadorean Police/Handout via ReutersHours after terror broke out in Guayaquil, President Daniel Noboa took an unprecedented step. Noboa, who had only been inaugurated two months earlier, declared an “internal armed conflict” in the country and ordered Ecuador’s armed forces to “neutralize” the members of more than 20 gangs, which he labeled as terror groups. Since then, Ecuador’s national police and armed forces have been carrying out raids of homes of those with suspected ties to terror groups. Experts warn that Ecuador’s terror groups are aligned with a wider criminal network, including the notorious Sinaloa Cartel out of Mexico, complicating Noboa’s attempts to “neutralize” criminal groups operating within his borders.

Persons: Ecuador CNN — Camille Gamarra, Diego Gallardo, Camille, Diego, “, ’ ” Camille, ” Camille, – José Adolfo Macías, ” –, Jose Adolfo Macias, Daniel Noboa, they’ve, ”, Jaime Vela Erazo, Fito, Sean Walker, Noboa, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, It’s, Carlos Jimenez, ” Jimenez, Jimenez, he’s, “ I’ve, I’ve, “ I’m, Noboa’s, Cesar Suarez Organizations: Ecuador CNN, Ecuadorean Police, Handout, Reuters, CNN, Joint Command, Ecuador’s Armed Forces, Colombian, RCN, Residents, TC Television Locations: Guayaquil, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, United States, Europe, Sinaloa, Mexico, Aire, Golfo

☆ Cesar Suarez: Ecuadorean prosecutor investigating TV station attack has been assassinated, attorney general says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Tara John | Abel Alvarado | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —An Ecuadorean prosecutor, who was reportedly leading an investigation into an attack on a local TV network, was assassinated on Wednesday in Guayaquil, according to Ecuador’s Attorney General Diana Salazar. Cesar Suarez was killed in the northern part of the city, known for being one of the most violent cities in the country. The TV station attack led Noboa to declare an “internal armed conflict” in the country, ordering security forces to “neutralize” several criminal groups accused of spreading extreme violence in the Latin American nation. Since then, Ecuadorian military and police have spread throughout the city of Guayaquil, a CNN team on the ground witnessed. This comes as rival criminal organizations fuel Ecuador’s worsening security situation in their battle to control drug trafficking routes.

Persons: Diana Salazar, Cesar Suarez, Salazar, Suarez, “, ” Salazar, ”, Daniel Noboa, Adolfo “ Fito ” Macias, Oliver, Noboa, “ Leo Organizations: CNN, Ecuavisa, TC Television, United, Ecuadorian, Ecuador’s Armed Forces Locations: Guayaquil, Guayas, Ecuadorian, Ecuador, Fito, Mexico, United States, Sinaloa, Colombia, Los Tiguerones, Victoria del, “, Peru, Europe

☆ All prison staff held hostage by inmates in Ecuador now free, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —All prison guards and administrative employees held hostage by inmates at correctional facilities across Ecuador have now been freed, the national prisons agency said Saturday night. Earlier on Saturday it had said 133 guards and three administrative employees were still being held after at least 41 were released. Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa welcomed the news and congratulated SNAI, the armed forces and the national police for securing their release. The agency had also reported an armed confrontation at a prison in the southern region of El Oro between inmates and members of the armed forces and the National Police. More than 3,000 police officers and members of the armed forces have been deployed to find him.

Persons: Daniel Noboa, SNAI, Jorge Rendon, ”, Rafael Correa, Adolfo “ Fito, Oliver, Fito, Fernando Villavicencio, Rodrigo Buendia, Villavicencio Organizations: CNN, Ecuadorian, National Police, Catholic, Security, Authorities, Getty Locations: Ecuador, Esmeraldas, El Oro, ”, Peru, Colombia, Guayaquil, Fito, Mexico, United States, Sinaloa, AFP, Quito

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Daniel Noboa has managed to do what his father failed at five times: Getting elected as Ecuador’s president. Political Cartoons View All 1211 ImagesAnd as he is getting a truncated term, Noboa faces a daunting task. He cut his term short when he dissolved the National Assembly in May as lawmakers pursued impeachment proceedings against him over alleged improprieties in a government contract. His political career began in 2021, when he got a seat in the National Assembly and chaired its Economic Development Commission. The younger Noboa's party will not have have enough seats in the National Assembly to be able to govern on its own.

Persons: — Daniel Noboa, ”, Will Freeman, “, Guillermo Lasso, Noboa, Luisa González, Rafael Correa, González, Ecuadorians, Fernando Villavicencio, themslves, Álvaro, Lasso, Julio Ricaurte, Villavicencio, Correa, Rosa Amaguaña, ” Amaguaña, ” ___ Garcia Cano Organizations: American, Voters, Council, Foreign Relations, National Assembly, Corp, Economic Development Commission, National Police, Assembly Locations: QUITO, Ecuador, U.S, “, Quito, Noboa, Colombia, Peru, Mexican, wife’s, Belgium, Caracas, Venezuela

Voter turnout was “historic” at 82.33% despite initial security concerns, Ecuador’s National Electoral Council president Diana Atamaint said after polls closed Sunday. “We will inform the country of the first results as the votes are processed,” she said. Ecuador’s Interior Minister Juan Zapata also assured the country in a news conference that there had been no security incidents to report. “Governing Ecuador right now is hell – this presidency is designed to eliminate you from political life,” Freeman said. The new president will have relatively little time to work on a solution to the country’s woes.

Persons: Luisa González, Daniel Noboa, Fernando Villavicencio, Diana Atamaint, “, Atamaint, Juan Zapata, Guillermo Lasso, ” Will Freeman, Rafael Correa, González, César Ortiz, Ortiz, ” Freeman Organizations: CNN, Electoral, Nacional, Council, Foreign Relations, Movimiento Revolución Locations: Ecuador, Sucumbios, America, Belgium, Peru, Colombia, Europe, Quito

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Frightened by unprecedented violence on the streets and within prisons, Ecuadorians have a universal demand for the president they are choosing Sunday — safety. The runoff election in the South American country pits an heir to a banana empire, Daniel Noboa, against an attorney, Luisa González. The election comes as more Ecuadorians become victims of drug-related violence that erupted roughly three years ago and intensified in August, when a presidential candidate was assassinated in broad daylight. Lasso, a conservative former banker, clashed constantly with lawmakers after his election in 2021 and decided not to run in the special election. The next president must be able to do even something small.”___Gonzalo Solano contributed to this report from Quito, Ecuador.

Persons: Daniel Noboa, Luisa González, Guillermo Lasso, Lasso, demagoguery, Julio Ricaurte, ”, Rafael Correa, Correa, Rosa Amaguaña, “, ” Amaguaña, ” ___ Gonzalo Solano Organizations: Sunday, National Assembly, Lasso, National Police, Assembly, Economic Development Commission, Corp Locations: CARACAS, Venezuela, American, Ecuador, Quito, “

☆ Take Five: War and peace of mind
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., September 28, 2023. U.S. retail sales increased more than expected in August as a surge in gasoline prices boosted receipts at service stations. Bar chart with data from LSEG I/B/E/S show the projected year-over-year growth in Q3 2023 earnings of S&P 500 industries. There have been reports the government is looking to increase its budget deficit to meet this year's 5% growth target. That said, inflation is still over three times the BoE's 2% target and growth isn't exactly stellar.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Kevin Buckland, Lewis Krauskopf, Naomi Rovnick, Karin Strohecker, Amanda Cooper, Goldman Sachs, Johnson, Philip Morris, It's, Banks, Amundi, BoE, it's, Sumanta Sen, Prinz Magtulis, Vineet, Pasit, Jayaram, Mark Potter Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Hamas, Bank of America, Johnson, Netflix, Philip Morris International, Investors, HK, Law, Justice, Reuters, The Bank of England, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Israel, Palestinian, China, Britain, Tokyo, New York, London, LSEG, Beijing, Europe's, Brussels, Europe

☆ Joe Biden has a decision to make about Julian Assange
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +26 min

A small group of lawyers and media executives gathered in a well-appointed back room to listen to Gabriel Shipton, Assange's half-brother. In the case of Vault 7, WikiLeaks' source turned out to be a disgruntled former C.I.A employee. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn New York, Gabriel Shipton, Assange's half-brother, declined to rule out the possibility of a plea deal. Every time the Australian government raises this issue, the Chinese government puts out a statement about Julian Assange. Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, right, was part of a delegation of Australian officials in the US to press for the release of Julian Assange.

Persons: Julian Assange, Assange, Gabriel Shipton, Tucker Carlson, Tucker, Shipton, he'd, Anthony Albanese, Joe Biden, Monique Ryan, Albanese, Mike Pompeo, Caroline Kennedy, Der Spiegel, El Pais, David Hicks, Julian, John Shipton, Assange's, John, Gabriel, Brett Assange, Peter Whish, Wilson, We've, Robert Carr, Chelsea Manning's, Obama, We're, Cheng Lei, —, Chelsea Manning, Manning, What's, Julian Assange's, John MacDougall, …, they'd, he's, John Young, Laura Poitras's, Mueller, Robert Mueller's, John Podesta's, Bernie Sanders, John Koeltl, They've, Donald, Trump, we've, James Comey, Hillary Clinton, He's, I'm, Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner, I've, Putin, exfiltrate Assange, Julian wasn't, Dana Rohrabacher, Rohrabacher, Jennifer Robinson, Tracey Nearmy, we'd, Marjorie Taylor, Greene, Antony Blinken, Biden, Mattathias Schwartz Organizations: United Nations General Assembly, WikiLeaks, Washington Post, Washington, DOJ, The Washington, Australia's Labor Party, New, Biden, Senate Intelligence, Justice Department, New York Times, Guardian, Chelsea, Pentagon, Getty, Justice, The State Department, Laura Poitras's WikiLeaks, State Department, DNC, Democratic, Committee, Democratic National Convention, of, Russian Federation, Novaya Gazeta, Trump, CIA, The Justice Locations: New York, London, Assange's, Pacific, Ecuadorian, Washington, Russia, Australia, Shipton, Brig, Chelsea, Iraq, Australian, China, American, Moscow, Getty Shipton, … Shipton, Cryptome, There's, Southern, of New York, Russian, Ukrainian, Ukraine, Panama, schwartz79@protonmail.com

CNN —Ecuadorians have voted to ban oil drilling in one of the most biodiverse places on the planet, the Yasuní National Park, situated in the Amazon rainforest. The Yasuní National Park park spans around 1 million hectares (2.5 million acres) at the meeting point of the Amazon, the Andes and the Equator. In 2016, the Ecuadorian state oil company began drilling in Block 43 – around 0.01% of the National Park – which today produces more than 55,000 barrels a day, amounting to around 12% of Ecuador’s oil production. Yasunidos, an environmental collective, has been pushing for the vote to ban drilling in the park for a decade. “This referendum presents a huge opportunity for us to create change in a tangible way,” Helena Gualinga, an Indigenous rights advocate from a remote village in the Ecuadorian Amazon, told CNN.

Persons: CNN — Ecuadorians, Rafael Correa, Fernando Santos, ” Santos, ” Helena Gualinga, Yasunidos, Mitch Anderson, Fernando L, Ecuadorians, ”, Luisa González, Daniel Noboa Organizations: CNN, Electoral, Movimiento Revolución Locations: Ecuador, Europe, North America, Ecuadorian

Gonzalez is set to face the surprise second-place finisher Daniel Noboa in a run-off election in October, according to the National Electoral Council of Ecuador (CNE), as neither candidate won more than 50% of the ballot. Ecuador presidential candidate Daniel Noboa makes remarks as he arrives to participate in a presidential debate on August 13. Crime has topped the agenda of this year’s presidential race, which was punctuated by the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, an outspoken anti-corruption journalist. Gunfire interrupted Noboa’s caravan on Thursday as he was traveling in Guayas province, but authorities say the presidential candidate was not the target of the incident. But the winner of October’s run-off vote will have relatively little time to work on a solution.

Persons: CNN — Luisa González, Gonzalez, Daniel Noboa, Ecuadorians, Diana Atamaint, González, Rafael Correa –, Álvaro Noboa –, Guillermo Lasso, Karen Toro, Fernando Villavicencio, Pedro Briones, Christian Zurita, October’s Organizations: CNN, Movimiento Revolución, Sunday, Electoral, Accion Democratica Nacional, Electoral Council Locations: Ecuador, Belgium, Esmeraldas province, Guayas, Quito, Russia, Ukraine, China, Bangladesh

☆ Ecuador election: assassinations cast a grim shadow as country selects a new president
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Tara John | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Nearly 100,000 troops will be dispatched to ensure public safety and order across Ecuador on election day, Ecuador’s government says. Friends, family members and supporters of Ecuadorean presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio attend a tribute at Quito Exhibition Center. Henry Romero/ReutersEverything to play forAnything could happen in Sunday’s presidential vote, say analysts, who point to the killing of Villavicencio as potentially changing voters’ preferences. Journalist and presidential candidate Christian Zurita gestures next to his running mate, vice presidential candidate Andrea Gonzalez (R), in Quito on August 13, 2023. Ecuador presidential candidate Yaku Perez looks on as he arrives to participate in a presidential debate, in Quito, Ecuador August 13, 2023.

Persons: CNN —, Fernando Villavicencio, Otto Sonnenholzner, Guillermo Lasso, Henry Romero, ”, Laura Lizarazo, “, Glaeldys González, …, Pedro Briones, Luisa González, Rafael Correa, Lizarazo, Rodrigo Buendia, Correa, González, Villavicencio, Christian Zurita, Andrea Gonzalez, Martin Bernetti, Moreno, Erika Paredes, Marcos Pin, ” Lizarazo, Yaku, Yaku Perez, Karen Toro, El, Nayib Bukele –, Bukele, Jan, Vicente Gaibor del Pino Organizations: CNN, Quito Exhibition Center, Reuters, ”, Crisis, Movimiento, Getty, CNN En, Construye’s, Alianza Actuemos Locations: Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, United States, Guayaquil, Esmeraldas province, Quito, AFP, Belgium, Samborondon

Otto Sonnenholzner said he had been having breakfast with his wife and daughters at a restaurant when violence broke out. The shooting comes just days after the assassination of another presidential candidate, Fernando Villavicencio, who had been campaigning against gang violence and corruption, shocked the world. “This is one more example of what Ecuadorians face on a daily basis,” Sonnenholzner said of the latest shooting. Crucial voteEcuadorians will decide between eight presidential candidates in Sunday’s vote. Following Saturday’s shooting, Sonnenholzner reiterated calls to stem “the serious crisis.”“As a husband and father, I know that no one should go through this.

Persons: Otto Sonnenholzner, ” Sonnenholzner, Fernando Villavicencio, Villavicencio, ”, Villavicencio’s, Marco Yaulema, Gissella Cecibel Molina, ” Molina, Sonnenholzner, Ecuadorians Organizations: CNN, American, Zetas, National Assembly Locations: Ecuador, Quito

☆ Ecuador election: political violence and insecurity loom large as Ecuadorians get ready to vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Rafael Romo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

It has also brought international attention to the powerful criminal organizations driving the violence that has plagued Ecuador. “By the very fact that we’re not controlling our borders, we’re getting an influx of money that is literally corrupting the country,” Topic added. Topic told CNN that while he admires Bukele, he would be more careful when it comes to respecting human rights. Andrea González Náder – who was Villavicencio’s running mate – told CNN that the fight against criminal gangs and corruption was Villavicencio’s main objective when he was alive. Those aims have not changed, she told CNN from a secret location in Ecuador, which police asked CNN not to reveal for her protection.

Persons: Ecuador CNN — Gissella Cecibel Molina doesn’t, Fernando Villavicencio, Fernando, ” Molina, ‘ Fernando Villavicencio, ’, ”, Molina, “, Villavicencio, Juan Zapata, Fernando Villavicencio's assasination, Karen Toro, Pedro Briones, Agustin Intriago, Walker Vera, Pity Guzman, Rodrigo Buendia, Bukele, doesn’t, Andrea González Náder –, –, Martin Bernetti, Luisa González, Rafael Correa, “ I’ve, Gustavo Petro Organizations: Ecuador CNN, National Assembly, CNN, “, Reuters, Manta, Ecuadorian National Police, United Nations Office, Drug, Getty, French Foreign Legion, Electoral Council, Citizen Revolution Movement, European, Colombian, Zetas Locations: Quito, Ecuador, Ecuador’s, “, Esmeraldas province, Muisne, South America, United States, Europe, Colombia, Mexico, Balkans, AFP, Ecuadorian, European Union

☆ Fernando Villavicencio assasination: How corruption and gang warfare transformed Ecuador
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Tara John | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But the high-profile assassination on Wednesday of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio could be a turning point for the country that has so far struggled to control the bloodshed. Ecuadorean presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio ran on an anti-corruption platform prior to his death. Floundering authoritiesSecurity and state forces have been badly unprepared for the rise of criminal groups in the country. A a car transports the body of Ecuadorean presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio on August 10. Last year, the US withdrew visas from high-ranking officers of Ecuadorian state security forces, alleged to be linked to drug trafficking, as well as several judges and lawyers.

Persons: CNN —, Fernando Villavicencio, ” Juan Pappier, Watch’s, “, Karen Toro, Laura Lizarazo, ”, ” Lizarazo, Ecuador’s, Guillermo Lasso, Lizarazo, Eric Farnsworth, –, Villavicencio –, El, Nayib Bukele, Luisa González, Rafael Correa, Vicente Gaibor del Pino Organizations: CNN, Customs, Border Patrol, Ecuadorian, Reuters, Lobos, of, Americas Society, Security Locations: Ecuador, ”, Peru, Colombia, Europe, Washington, Americas

☆ Reaction to killing of Ecuador presidential candidate Villavicencio
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

QUITO, Aug 9 (Reuters) - The following are reactions to the assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio on Wednesday. Ecuadorean presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio speaks during a campaign rally in Quito, Ecuador August 9, 2023. AMBASSADOR TO ECUADOR MIKE FITZPATRICK"I am deeply dismayed to learn of the assassination of Fernando Villavicencio, presidential candidate and fighter against the corruption and narco-criminals who have done so much damage to Ecuador." PARAGUAY'S PRESIDENT-ELECT SANTIAGO PENA"We repudiate and condemn the assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. HONDURAN PRESIDENT XIOMARA CASTRO"We strongly condemn the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.

Persons: Fernando Villavicencio, GUILLERMO LASSO, Mayor Intriago, Fernando, RAFAEL CORREA, LUISA GONZALEZ, DANIEL NOBOA AZIN, XAVIER HERVAS, Karen Toro, MIKE FITZPATRICK, SANTIAGO PENA, XIOMARA CASTRO, Alexandra Valencia, Isabel Woodford, Valentine Hilaire, Caroline Pulice, Lincoln Organizations: OF, AMERICAN STATES, REUTERS, U.S, AFFAIRS MINISTRY, Ecuadorian, MINISTRY OF, Thomson Locations: QUITO, OF ECUADOR, Ecuador, Quito, Government, Chile, Ecuadorian Government, Mexico City

Quito, Ecuador CNN —A candidate in Ecuador’s upcoming presidential election, Fernando Villavicencio, was assassinated at a campaign event Wednesday, President Guillermo Lasso confirmed on social media, vowing the killing will not go unpunished. He was gunned down 10 days before the first round of the presidential election was set to take place on August 20. Ecuador’s Attorney General’s Office said the suspected gunman died in police custody following an exchange of fire with security personnel. Seven of the eight presidential candidates, including Villavicencio, were under police protection, Ecuador’s Interior Minister Juan Zapata said earlier this week, local media reported Tuesday. All the candidates in the country’s presidential election have pledged to rein in the escalation of violence.

Persons: Ecuador CNN —, Fernando Villavicencio, Guillermo Lasso, Villavicencio, Cristian Zurita, Rodrigo Figueroa, “, Lasso, ” Lasso, Juan Zapata, paz ”, Agustin Intriago, Ariana Chancay, CNN En, CNN En Español Conclusiones, ” Organizations: Ecuador CNN, Movimiento, CNN, Ecuador’s, General’s, Judicial, Fire Department, Ecuador Police, National, Lasso, paz, Security, CNN En Español Locations: Quito, Ecuador, Villavicencio, Peru, Colombia, South America, North America, Europe, Manta, Darien, United States

☆ UN calls for regional solutions to curb record migration through Darien Gap
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A group of migrants from different countries walk through the Darien Gap, as they continue their journey to the U.S. border, in Acandi, Colombia July 9, 2023. Official data shows 248,901 people crossed the dangerous stretch between January and July, surpassing the record high seen for all of 2022. The "dramatic" numbers show a need for joint efforts to address the root causes of forced displacement and irregular migration, the UN refugee agency and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a statement. Migrants crossing the Darien Gap are mostly from Venezuela, while Haitians and Ecuadorians make up the next two largest groups. Crossings through the jungle are expected to surpass 400,000 this year, according to the UN, well up from nearly 250,000 in 2022.

Persons: Adri, Michele Klein Solomon, Ecuadorians, Elida Moreno, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, PANAMA CITY, United Nations, UN, International Organization for Migration, Migrants, Thomson Locations: Darien, U.S, Acandi, Colombia, Panama, Venezuela

CNN —The number of migrants crossing the treacherous Darien Gap, a mountainous rainforest region that connects South and Central America, has broken a new record, according to immigration officials in Panama. The Panama migration authority’s deputy director Maria Isabel Saravia told media that 2022’s already-high number of crossings was surpassed on Monday. “With today and yesterday’s crossings of 1,869 people, there have been 248,901 crossings,” Saravia said Monday. As the figures anticipated, we exceeded last year’s number (…) The last three years have been much higher than the last 11 years in crossings,” Saravia added. The 60-kilometer (37 mile) hike through the Darien Gap brings migrants from Colombia to Panama and is a crucial passage for those hoping to reach the United States and Canada.

Persons: Maria Isabel Saravia, Saravia Organizations: CNN, Central America, “, Department of Homeland Security Locations: Darien, South, Central, Panama, Colombia, United States, Canada, Mexico, Texas

☆ Ecudor crisis: How gang warfare jumped from Ecuador's prisons to the open street
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Stefano Pozzebon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Frantic purchases of ammunition, the daylight assassination of a mayor, and a growing body count inside Ecuador’s prisons signal that the country’s roiling security crisis is going from bad to worse. Violence has been most pronounced on Ecuador’s Pacific coast as criminal groups battle to control and distribute narcotics, primarily cocaine. The country has also lost control of its prisons, which are often ruled by the criminal gangs. Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso speaks during a meeting in the Carondelet Palace in Quito on November 10, 2021. The crisis has also affected the security and justice system with allegations of corruption swirling around some in courts and police.

Persons: Agustin Intriago, Ariana Chancay, Agustin Intriago's, Dolores Ochoa, Guillermo Lasso, Vicente Gaibor del Pino, Coronel Mario Pazmiño, CRISTINA VEGA RHOR, Lasso, ” Lasso, ”, Fausto Salinas, Luisa Gonzalez, Otto Sonnenholzner, Yaku Perez Organizations: CNN, Manta, Security, Authorities, Reuters, Ecuadorian Army, Getty, Public Security Council, Ecuadorian Locations: Ecuador’s, Guayaquil, Manta, Ecuador, South America, North America, Europe, Peru, Colombia, America, Bolivia, Carondelet, Quito, AFP, Manabi

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