Ecuador's attorney general charges seven alleged masterminds in the assassination of Fernando Villavicencio: Two politicians close to former leftist president Rafael Correa are involved

The prosecutor's office in Ecuador formally charged on Saturday seven alleged masterminds behind the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, including two former left-wing politicians, a businessman, and several members of a criminal gang.

Villavicencio was a conservative lawmaker known for his anti-corruption investigations. He was shot and killed in 2023 as he was leaving a campaign rally in Quito one week before that year's presidential election, in which he was a candidate.

On Saturday afternoon, the prosecutor's office announced on X that it "is charging the seven defendants as indirect perpetrators for their alleged involvement in the crime of #Murder."

Among the accused are businessman Xavier Jordán, former Interior Minister José Serrano, former Congressman Ronny Aleaga, the top leader of Los Lobos, Wilmer Chavarría, known by the alias Pipo, and three other individuals linked to this criminal gang.

The prosecutor's office requested that the pretrial detention order against the seven be upheld and asked the authorities to issue a red notice via Interpol for four of them who live abroad.

Jordán, who lives in the United States, "financed and planned" the murder, according to the prosecution.

Serrano, who served as a minister under former leftist President Rafael Correa (2007–2017) and is currently being held at an immigration detention center in the United States, allegedly provided "sensitive" information to Los Lobos regarding the candidate's movements.

Aleaga, a former pro-Correa legislator granted asylum in Venezuela, coordinated "actions to carry out the assassination", according to the indictment filed by prosecutor Ana Hidalgo.

Alias Pipo, who is facing extradition proceedings in Spain to Ecuador, allegedly planned the assassination in exchange for one million dollars.

Before entering politics, Villavicencio was an investigative journalist who probed corruption cases that tarnished the leftist Correa administration.

But several of his exposés also implicated sectors of the right and figures in organized crime.

Five other people have already been sentenced to up to 34 years in prison as the perpetrators of the assassination.

The politician's bodyguards killed the shooter, and six Colombians allegedly linked to the crime were murdered in prison.