Another political leader killed in Ecuador, days after presidential candidate's assassination

[Judi Lynn]

Story by REGINA GARCIA CANO •
1h

The unprecedented violence roiling Ecuador claimed the life of another political leader Monday, bringing the number of politics-related slayings within the last four weeks to three, including last week's assassination of a presidential candidate.

The fatal shooting of Pedro Briones, a local leader of Revolución Ciudadana, the party of former President Rafael Correa, was confirmed by Luisa González, the front-runner in Sunday's special presidential election and member of the same party.

The shooting happened in the northern province of Esmeraldas. Details were not immediately available.

“Ecuador is experiencing its bloodiest era," González tweeted. "A heartfelt hug to the family of colleague Pedro Briones, felled by the hands of violence."

The killing of Briones, who was a political leader in a rural area of San Mateo de Esmeraldas, came less than a week after the Andean nation was rocked by the assassination in broad daylight of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, a crusader against organized crime and corruption. Villavicencio was killed at the end of a political rally in Quito, the capital, despite having a security detail that included police and bodyguards.

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https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/another-political-leader-killed-in-ecuador-days-after-presidential-candidate-s-assassination/ar-AA1fi0f5