Ecuador has had its time in the sun until these past few years. Once considered one of the safest, most stable, and rising South American democracies, in the past five years Ecuador has squandered that promise. Rising narco-trafficking and the unholy violence associated with it has permeated the country, unimpeded by the flailing of President Guillermo Lasso’s impotent administration.

…In the past five years, the narco-trafficking industry has gained extraordinary power in Ecuador, as foreign drug mafias have joined forces with local prison and street gangs. In just a few years, they have transformed entire swaths of the country, extorting businesses, recruiting young people, infiltrating the government and killing those who investigate them.

The similarities to the problems that plagued Colombia in the 1980s and ’90s, as narco-trafficking groups assumed control of broad parts of the country and infiltrated the government, have become almost impossible for Ecuadoreans to ignore.

There are many who hold President Lasso directly responsible for the collapse of his once thriving country, and question his integrity and motives now.

…Prison gangs have taken democracy hostage in Ecuador, and the government has played a prominent role in this horrifying situation. President Lasso has effectively stood by while crime organisations with links to foreign drug mafias have seized control of the prison system; at the same time, the president has criminalised political protests and democratic dissent.

Lasso, who part-owns one of Ecuador’s largest banks, is an old-fashioned neoliberal surrounded by far-right libertarians and media moguls. In May, amid impeachment proceedings and corruption accusations, the president disbanded the national assembly and called for early elections, triggering the bloodiest political campaign in Ecuador’s history.

During Lasso’s tenure, eight candidates and public officials have been assassinated, and more have been injured in attempts on their lives. In July, a popular crusading mayor in Manta was assassinated as he walked his city. A popular local soccer player was also killed in the same attack.

On Wednesday, the violence came for right-wing presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, a fervent anti-corruption candidate, who was running middle of the pack of eight challengers to Lasso.

Footage of Fernando Villavicencio before his assassination in Quito. #FernadoVillavicencio #quito #ECUADOR pic.twitter.com/0zJMDXojtz

— Pan (@antony67) August 11, 2023

After speaking at that rally in Quito, he was shot twelve times while getting into his car..

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio has been shot and killed, the country’s president confirmed.

BREAKING VIDEO: The moment shots rang out in the assassination of Ecuadorian Presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio

More info… pic.twitter.com/1709Qk68cL

— LockharTVMedia (@LockharTVMedia) August 10, 2023

Lasso immediately declared a state of emergency, locking the country down, but said that the scheduled elections on August 20th would go forward as planned.

…A vocal critic of organized crime, Mr Villavicencio was one of the few presidential candidates to allege links between corruption and government officials.

President Guillermo Lasso said the assassination was an attempt to sabotage the election.

He added that voting would go ahead as planned on 20 August, despite a national state of emergency.

He also asked the FBI for help with the investigation.

…Mr. Lasso, the president, immediately blamed the death on “organized crime.” The national prosecutor’s office quickly said that one suspect had been killed and six others arrested.

The following day, Mr. Lasso said he had requested the help of the F.B.I., which agreed to assist in investigating the case.

“Organized crime” turned out to be Colombians – six of whom they arrested, and one who didn’t survive the encounter with police…

The six people who have been arrested in connection with the killing of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio are Colombian, police say.

A seventh suspect, who died from wounds in a shootout with police on Thursday, was also Colombian.

…and a gang war clown show broke out on video with competing claims of who did or didn’t do it. Trying to finger the others guys, who were quick to “Hell, no, not us!” video right back.

…Following his murder, a video appeared on social media in which heavily armed men wearing balaclavas claimed responsibility for the murder. The men claimed to belong to Los Lobos (The Wolves), who are rivals of Los Choneros.

However another video appeared online just hours later, in which another group of men – this time not wearing masks – claimed they were Los Lobos members and denied any role in the assassination, claiming the other video was an attempt by their rivals to set them up for the murder.

I’m sure “foreign drug mafias” and their ilk exploding through Latin and South American have nothing to do with the drugs coming in like a tidal wave over the wide-open U.S. border. Perish the thought.

A secure AMERICAN border might help. Wonder who we could point the finger at for that? pic.twitter.com/SgwAcpcKJw

— tree hugging s*ster 🎃 (@WelbornBeege) August 11, 2023

Ecuador is devolving into “perish the crusaders“…

…Before running for Congress, Villavicencio made his reputation as a journalist digging up evidence of government corruption. Some of his most effective work was international. His book “Ecuador Made in China” exposed crooked deals between Beijing and Quito during the 10-year presidency of Rafael Correa.

Villavicencio had to go into hiding more than once. When Mr. Correa was sentenced in absentia to eight years in prison for bribery, Villavicencio was widely credited for bringing the former president to justice. In Congress he continued his battle against government graft.

…and don’t think Ecuadorans haven’t noticed. What about security for those who would return their country to the promise is had? To the security it had before Lasso turned it over to drug thugs, gangs, and international syndicates?

There’s one fellow still running who has also been talking the talk. But, as a former French Foreign Legion soldier, his brand was much rougher and his proposals are based on the harsh Salvadoran no-quarter-given model. people weren’t warming up to going quite that far right.

After this bold assassination by reviled Colombian infiltrators, he’s looking very attractive to violence and corruption weary citizens. Mr. Topic should also now have his head on a swivel.

They just want their country back.

…Soon, the silver hearse carrying Mr. Villavicencio’s body left the morgue, and the crowd began to clap, at first mournfully, then with a rapid anger.

People screamed at the police escort surrounding the body.

“Now you protect him, when it is too late!” a woman shouted

…Other voters said they were turning toward Jan Topic, a candidate and former soldier in the French Foreign Legion whose focus has been taking a hard line on security, and who has been mirroring the promises of El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele. Mr. Bukele’s hard line on gangs, including mass imprisonments, has helped drive down violence, but he has also been accused of violating civil liberties.

Germán Martínez, a coroner who happened to be at the morgue where Mr. Villavicencio’s body lay on Thursday, said that after the killing, he had decided to switch his vote to Mr. Topic.

“Where are we, as Ecuadoreans?” he asked. “We can’t remain with our heads low. We need to fight criminals. We need a strong hand.”

History should teach that strong hands in South America are also something to be wary of.

Strong, wise, and selfless has always been illusive in leadership there.

Here’s hoping they get lucky.

Update (Ed): The word “Colombia” and its variants were misspelled. I’ve corrected them. I’ve made this same mistake at least once before myself, so ….