The shooting assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio in Ecuador has caused shock and revealed the depth of the security crisis, in a country that less than a decade ago was one of the most peaceful in Latin America.
The economic crisis, drug trafficking and the weakness of the State combine to create the worst scenario in which to hold the elections, scheduled for the next 20th. The prospects are not good. Former President Rafael Correa described Ecuador as a “failed state.”
“The murder sends the message that organized crime is stronger than the State,” warns Rogelio Núñez, associate researcher at the Elcano Royal Institute.
“It is a warning that the situation is worse than could be imagined,” says Anna Ayuso, CIDOB senior researcher for Latin America, in statements to RTVE.es. “Villavicencio had pointed out people with names and surnames. This is a warning that they are willing to fight to maintain their dominance, ”she added.
“Ecuador is experiencing what Colombia experienced in the 1990s and Mexico in the 2000s,” says Silvio Falcón, a political scientist and analyst of the situation in Latin America. “Institutions are going down, and instead organized crime has gained influence over the candidates and effective power in the streets. And this is a difference with what was traditional in that country, ”he explains to RTVE.es
Ecuador is experiencing the worst security crisis in its history. The year 2022 ended with a rate of 25.32 violent deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, the highest since records were kept.
