1 of 1 Fernando Villavicencio was in fourth place in his voting intentions Photo: EPA via BBC Fernando Villavicencio was in fourth place in his voting intentions Photo: EPA via BBC
In a State Department statement, Blinken added that the information should “lead to the arrest or conviction of the accomplices and masterminds” of the politician’s murder.
Villavicencio was shot dead as he left a rally in Quito just days before the first round of presidential elections on August 20.
Villavicencio and his successor Christian Zurita, who was eliminated in the second round on October 15, conducted numerous journalistic investigations into drug trafficking for years.
In addition, Blinken announced a further reward of up to US$1 million (R$5 million) for information leading to the identification or location of “any individual holding a key leadership position in the transnational organized crime group responsible for the murder to Villavicencio”. .
After the crime, Ecuadorian police arrested six Colombians. Another suspect, also Colombian, died in a shootout with the presidential candidate’s security guards.
“The FBIassisted investigation [a polícia federal dos EUA]“He continues to identify other people involved in the murder,” Blinken added.
Ecuador’s election campaign was marked by violence related to drug trafficking. Until recently, the country was a haven of peace between Colombia and Peru, the world’s largest cocaine producers.
Ecuador’s new president is expected to finish his current fouryear term, scheduled for May 2025, after rightwing President Guillermo Lasso dissolved Congress and called early elections to avoid being removed in an impeachment trial over corruption.