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Six Colombian suspects arrested following assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate
Military police guard the presidential palace in Quito, Ecuador, Thursday, August 10, 2023

THE SIX men arrested as suspects in the assassination of an Ecuadorian presidential candidate are Colombian nationals, a police report said on Thursday.

The six men were captured hiding in a house in Quito, Ecuador’s capital, the report said. Officers also seized four shotguns, a rifle, ammunition and three grenades, along with a vehicle and a motorcycle, it said.

Fernando Villavicencio, 59, who was known for speaking up against drug cartels, was assassinated in Quito on Wednesday, less than two weeks before a special presidential election.

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