QUITO — Ecuador’s prosecutors have accused former Interior Minister José Serrano and six others of being indirect perpetrators in the 2023 assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, advancing a case that seeks to establish who allegedly organized and financed the killing.
The charges were presented during a pretrial hearing in Quito against seven defendants: Serrano, businessman Xavier Jordán, former lawmaker Ronny Aleaga, Daniel Salcedo, and three alleged leaders of the Los Lobos criminal organization — Wilmer Chavarría, alias “Pipo”, Luis Arboleda, alias “Gordo Luis”, and Esteban Aguilar, alias “Lobo Menor.” Prosecutors describe them as indirect perpetrators, meaning they allegedly directed or facilitated the crime rather than carrying it out themselves.
Villavicencio, a former lawmaker and investigative journalist known for exposing corruption, was shot dead outside a campaign event in northern Quito on Aug. 9, 2023, just 11 days before Ecuador’s presidential election. The killing shocked the country and prompted an investigation into both the gunmen and those who may have ordered the attack.
Prosecutor Ana Hidalgo has presented evidence including expert examinations, communications, documents and advance testimony to support the case. Prosecutors allege that the seven defendants formed a criminal structure with different roles in planning, financing, coordinating and facilitating the assassination. Investigators have identified Jordán as an alleged central figure in the planning and financing, while Serrano and Aleaga have been described as part of the alleged planning level.
The case follows convictions in July 2024 of people prosecutors identified as having directly participated in the assassination. Ecuador’s Prosecutor General’s Office said two defendants received sentences of 34 years and eight months after a trial that included dozens of witness testimonies and documentary evidence.
The investigation has since expanded to alleged links between political figures and organized crime. In February, prosecutors added three alleged Los Lobos leaders to the case and sought preventive detention measures against them.
Serrano, who served as interior minister and later president of Ecuador’s National Assembly under former President Rafael Correa, has denied involvement in the assassination. The defendants remain presumed innocent unless convicted.
The pretrial proceedings were scheduled to continue in August, with the judge allowing additional hearing days if necessary. The court must ultimately decide whether there is sufficient evidence for the seven defendants to proceed to trial.
