Ecuador charges former minister over 2023 presidential candidate murder

Ecuador's Attorney General's Office announced on Saturday that former interior minister José Serrano and six other people have been charged in connection with the 2023 assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. Among those named is Wilmer "Pipo" Chavarria, head of the criminal gang Los Lobos.

Villavicencio, a former journalist who became a prominent legislator, was shot dead at a campaign event in the capital, Quito, days before the election. He was known for his anti-corruption stance and was among the few candidates who publicly alleged links between organised crime and government officials. Despite receiving death threats and being assigned a security detail, he continued making public campaign appearances.

Five people connected to the gang were convicted in 2024 for orchestrating the killing. The suspected gunman was shot dead at the scene, and six other men linked to the case were later found murdered in prison while awaiting trial.

The seven individuals newly charged are accused of playing an indirect role in the assassination, with most having ties to Los Lobos, one of Ecuador's most powerful criminal organisations. Five of them are now considered fugitives. Serrano and Xavier Jordán are believed to be in the United States, former assemblyman Ronny Aleaga is in Venezuela, and Chavarria remains in Spain, where an extradition request is pending following his arrest last year after he faked his own death. The Attorney General's Office has requested Interpol red notices to secure their capture and extradition.

Another suspect, Ángel Esteban Aguilar, known as "Lobo Menor", was arrested in Mexico City in March and returned to Ecuador after a red notice was issued in relation to the murder.

Current President Daniel Noboa, who won the election that followed Villavicencio's death, has pursued a hardline military strategy against organised crime gangs since taking office.