Authorities in Ecuador have arrested six Colombian nationals as suspects in the assassination of a presidential candidate during a campaign rally on Wednesday, The Associated Press reported.
The six men were captured hiding in a house in Quito, Ecuador’s capital, said a police report, which was reviewed by AP. Officers also seized four shotguns, a 5.56-mm rifle, ammunition and three grenades, along with a vehicle and a motorcycle, it said.
Fernando Villavicencio, 59, who was known for speaking up against drug cartels, was assassinated in Quito on Wednesday, less than two weeks before a special presidential election.
Ecuador’s interior minister, Juan Zapata, had earlier confirmed the arrest of some foreigners in the case, although he didn’t give their nationalities.
Zapata described the killing as a “political crime of a terrorist nature” aimed at sabotaging the Aug. 20 presidential election.
The police report did not specify whether the Colombians are alleged members of a criminal group. Zapata said those arrested were linked to organized crime, although he didn’t give more details.
One suspect died in custody from wounds sustained in a firefight, the attorney general’s office said. The authorities had reported on Wednesday that six people had been detained, but they didn’t give any details until Thursday.
President Guillermo Lasso confirmed the murder on Twitter and wrote, "For his memory and his fight, I assure you that this crime will not remain unpunished. Organized crime have gone very far, but all the weight of the law will fall on them."
Lasso said he would host top security officials at an urgent meeting.
According to opinion polls, Villavicencio's support was at 7.5%, ranking him fifth out of eight presidential candidates for the August 20 vote.