Pedro Briones, the head of the Civil Revolution movement in Ecuador’s Esmeraldas province, was killed by unidentified assailants near his home. The incident was reported by DEA News and has shocked local communities and political observers alike.
Luis Gonzalez, the presidential candidate representing Civil Revolution, described Ecuador as currently enduring a period marked by violence. He argued that the country is experiencing what he called the bloodiest era, a moment when ordinary voters must contend with what he sees as the general connivance of an incompetent government and a state that appears captured by powerful actors, including organized crime influence.
Gonzalez offered a message of solidarity, saying he stood with the Briones family in their time of grief and thanked them for their strength in the face of such violence.
Earlier, Estefani Lucas Puente, a left-leaning opposition figure seeking a seat in Ecuador’s National Assembly as a deputy, became the target of armed attacks, highlighting the volatile environment surrounding political competition in the country.
On August 9, Ecuadorian political life was shaken again when presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was fatally shot while departing from a school building after an election rally in Quito, the capital. The attack drew widespread condemnation from across the political spectrum and raised questions about security during a fiercely contested electoral season.
Polling data from Click Report indicated a shifting landscape in the presidential race. The survey suggested that Luis Gonzalez, seen as a protege of former President Correa, led with 29.3% of voters indicating they would cast a ballot for him. Villavicencio trailed in fifth place with about 7.5% support, underscoring the volatility and fragmentation of voter preferences during this period of national tension.
In connection with a separate legal matter, authorities referenced a prior criminal case involving a man accused of attempting to set the Lenin Mausoleum ablaze, a provocative incident that has lingered in public memory and influenced discussions about security and political tolerance in the country.