Ecuador: Five involved in murder of Fernando Villavicencio sentenced to up to 34 years in prison

The Ecuadorian judiciary sentenced five individuals involved in the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio to up to 34 years in prison, including the person who gave the order to shoot.

Carlos Angulo, a member of one of the country's main criminal gangs, "is sentenced to 34 years and eight months in prison," said Milton Maroto, the judge in charge of the case, in statements reported by AFP.

Angulo, 31, known as the Invisible, was who gave the order to shoot Villavicencio on August 9, 2023, as he was leaving a rally in northern Quito.

The material author of the assassination was shot by the candidate's bodyguards. Police later arrested six Colombians allegedly linked to the attack, but all were killed in jail.

Another defendant, Laura Castillo, received the same sentence for providing weapons, money, vehicles and motorcycles to the hitmen who participated in the crime.

In addition, Erick Ramírez, Víctor Flores and Alexandra Chimbo, as accomplices, received sentences of 12 years in prison each. This is a first instance sentence that can be appealed by the defendants.

According to the Ecuadorian judiciary, Flores was in charge of providing security for the motorcycle in which the assassin who shot Villavicencio was being transported, while Chimbo was in charge of alerting the gunmen about the candidate's departure. Ramirez did the logistical work at the crime scene.

Another 13 people were injured during the attack, including police, military and Villavicencio supporters.