Ecuadorian court sentences five defendants for murdering former presidential candidate

Quito, July 13 An Ecuadorian court sentenced five defendants accused of murdering former presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio to prison terms between 12 and 34 years.

Carlos Angulo, alias "Invisible," one of the leaders of the drug trafficking gang "Los Lobos," and Laura Castillo were sentenced to the maximum penalty of 34 years and eight months in prison for orchestrating the murder, reported Xinhua news agency.

Another two men and a woman were sentenced to 12 years in prison as accomplices.

The court also demands full reparation for the suffering of Villavicencio's family.

Villavicencio, a 59-year-old politician and journalist, was killed in an armed attack after a political rally in the city of Quito on Aug. 9, 2023. He was campaigning in early elections after then-President Guillermo Lasso dissolved the National Assembly amid a political crisis.

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