Ecuadorean authorities said they initiated the investigation because SNAI did not carry out a pending order to transfer the inmates for security reasons.
Villavicencio, a prominent journalist who exposed corruption and organized crime, was gunned down while leaving a campaign event in August, bringing the country's rising violence to the spotlight this campaign season.
On Friday, six of the suspects, who were identified by authorities as Colombian nationals, were killed in a prison in Guayaquil.
The Colombian government condemned the killings and offered its support to Ecuadorean investigators in a statement on Saturday.
The second round run-off vote will be held on Oct. 15, ending an election cycle marred by the South American country's rising violence.
Persons:
Fernando Villavicencio, SNAI, Guillermo Lasso, Anna, Catherine Brigida, Franklin Paul
Organizations:
Reuters, Police, South
Locations:
Guayaquil