Thousands of soldiers move Ecuador gang leader

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Thousands of Ecuadorian sol­diers and police have been involved in a dawn operation to move a no­torious gang leader to a maximum security jail.

Jose Adolfo Macias, known as “Fito”, is accused of sending death threats to Ecuador’s murdered presidential candidate, Fernando Villavicencio.

The anti-corruption campaigner was shot three times in the head leaving a campaign rally on Wednesday.

Before his murder, Mr Villavicencio, said he had been threatened by Fito.

“If I continue… mentioning Los Choner­os (the gang), they are going to break me,” he said.

His death has shocked a nation that has largely escaped the decades of drug-gang violence, cartel wars and corruption that has blighted many of its neighbours. Crime has however shot up in recent years, fuelled by the growth of Colombian and Mexican drug cartels.

On Saturday, his Construye party an­nounced his running mate, Andrea Gon­zalez, as its presidential candidate in Mr Villavicencio’s place.

Ms Gonzalez’s career has largely fo­cussed on environmental issues, and the party said she would “guarantee the legacy” of Mr Villavicencio.

Meanwhile, Mr Villavicencio’s widow, Veronica Sarauz, said she held the state responsible for her husband’s death, and said she was unhappy Ms Gonzalez had been named as her husband’s replacement to contest the election.

Mr Villavicencio’s campaign focused on corruption and drugs. He was one of the only candidates to allege links between or­ganised crime and Ecuadorian government officials.

The day before his assassination, he com­plained to the Public Prosecutor’s Office about alleged irregularities in oil contracts negotiated during former president Rafael Correa’s administration which had cost the country US $9bn (£7 bn).

Six Colombians have been arrested in connection with the murder, while a sev­enth was killed in a shootout. The author­ities have not said who hired and paid the hitmen.

Gang leader, Fito, had been held in Pris­on 8 in Guayaquil since 2011, and videos shared by security forces showed him hand­cuffed in his underwear as security forces moved him to another facility.

Ecuador’s President, Guillermo Lasso, said Fito had been moved to La Roca, a 150-person maximum security prison that is part of the same complex.

—BBC

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