Presidential Hopefuls Campaign Amidst Violence
Wearing bulletproof vests and surrounded by armed national police,
Ecuador's presidential hopefuls closed out their campaigns just days after the August 9th killing of candidate
Fernando Villavicencio. On down while leaving a campaign rally, the former journalist was outspoken about the links between
organized crime and government officials. Did that cost him his life? Certainly. And, you know, one of the most notorious and pre-essent things that he said, he always said it, is that it would cost him his life. Professor Eduardo Gamara is an expert on Latin America.
Rising Violence in Ecuador
He says
Ecuador, long known as one of the most peaceful nations in South America, has become more violent, dangerous and deadly. Similar to Colombia during the height of the drug wars, where journalists, judges and even a presidential candidate, Luis Carlos Galán, were murdered. In
Ecuador, what you have is this enormous presence of transnational
organized crime. For such a small country to have such a concentration, it may, because it's so small, it may even be worse. On August 14th, another politician was assassinated in
Ecuador. That means there have been three high-profile political-related killings. In less than four weeks.
Facing a Complex Political Landscape
Emilio Palacio is an exiled
Ecuadorian journalist living in Miami. Villavicencio was his friend. It wasn't that he had a lot of enemies, he told me. It's that they were powerful. Christian Zurita, another journalist, has been named as Villavicencio's replacement. He faces off against seven other hopefuls. Among them,
Luisa Gonzales, considered the frontrunner prior to the killing.
Security Concerns and Hope for the Future
Security is now the number one concern for
Ecuadorians heading to the polls. You think there's still hope for
Ecuador? Yo estoy convencido. I'm convinced of it, he told me. Cristian Benavidez, CBS News, Miami.
