52:
616:
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59:
290:. The campaign period for both the voting sessions was marred by the consequences of an escalating wave of violence across Ecuador, which was mainly linked to the rise of drug trafficking-associated criminal organizations in the country. As a result of conflicts between the aforementioned organizations, since 2021 Ecuador had gone through a
464:−5) of 4 February 2023, two armed men on motorcycles arrived to an office building in Puerto López, and then ran up to the third floor of the complex, where Menéndez was working with volunteers to coordinate the last operations of his campaign before the ballots for the local elections were officially opened.
484:
The
Citizen Revolution Movement, the party that had been supporting Menéndez during his campaign, confirmed his death on their official social media pages, denouncing the state of violence and turmoil surrounding the elections and asking institutions to open an investigation and find the perpetrators
467:
As soon as they burst into the room, the gunmen started shooting at the candidate and his collaborators, killing Menéndez on the spot and wounding three more people, before escaping immediately from the crime scene. The three injured people were all taken to the hospital, to receive emergency
236:, was shot and killed by two unidentified men just a few hours before the ballots were officially opened. Three other people were injured in the same shooting, including a 16-year-old volunteer, who eventually died from complications after being taken to the hospital.
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Local police immediately opened an investigation on the murder, although no immediate arrests were made, due to the unknown identity of the two killers at the time. However, officers revealed that Menéndez had suffered an
294:, which stemmed from a series of violent clashes and riots in penitentiaries across the nation and manifested itself outside of prisons, as well, causing a sharp rise in the country's overall murder rate.
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586:, the regional office of the Citizen Revolution Movement was allowed to indicate a new candidate to replace the late Menéndez: shortly after the election's results were publicly shared,
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On 5 February 2023, the day after the assassination of Menéndez, the local elections in Puerto López took place as planned: according to the results shared by the
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In the weeks preceding the local elections and the referendum, several prominent episodes of violence against local candidates were reported across the country.
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Despite his assassination, Menéndez would go on to win the election posthumously, becoming the mayor of Puerto López. As for
Article 112 of the
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was chosen to step in to fill the post on behalf of Menéndez, and would eventually be sworn in as the new mayor of the canton on 14 May 2023.
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After stepping down from his role at
Intercable, on 1 August 2022 Menéndez had officially announced his candidacy for mayor of the canton of
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Just a few hours before his assassination, Menéndez had posted several videos in support of his own campaign on his
Facebook account.
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Menéndez was one of the several candidates targeted by violent attacks in the run-up to the elections, which were held alongside the
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was registered by the party as the newly-appointed mayor of Puerto López, as she was set to be officially sworn in on 14 May 2023.
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to investigate on the facts that "attacked the peace and the serenity of
Ecuadorians, and attacked our democracy". Another
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and telecommunications and owned by his own family. He was married to Génesis Gonzáles, and the couple had two children.
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as
President in April 2021, aimed to tackle the rising crime wave through one of the eight changes to the constitution
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treatments: one of them, a 16-year-old volunteer, was pronounced dead later at the same night, due to complications.
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in
Belgium since 2017, followed suit by posting a message on his Twitter page. Another member of the same party,
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and in the midst of an escalating wave of crime and violence across
Ecuador, mainly linked to the then ongoing
1194:"Javier Pincay, candidato a la Alcaldía de Portoviejo, es intervenido en hospital tras atentado en su contra"
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Finally, Menéndez's wife, Génesis Gonzáles, paid tribute to him by posting a message on her
Facebook page.
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Omar Menéndez, who was 41 at the time of his killing, was best known as an entrepreneur, who had lived in
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and the growing influence of criminal organizations with connections to drug trafficking in the country.
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in the United States as a particularly harsh punishment, and one they should avoid by any means.
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746:"Asesinan al candidato a la alcaldía de Puerto López, Ecuador, a pocas horas de las elecciones"
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319:. The proposal sparked debate and criticism, although several sources noted that neighboring
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already had a similar law in place since 1997, with officials from the country stating that
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998:"In Ecuador ha vinto le elezioni un candidato sindaco ucciso il giorno prima del voto"
854:"Town elects man mayor day after he's assassinated amid violent crime wave in Ecuador"
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all across the canton, as well as raise funds for the
Tourist Security branch of the
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377:, and one of his volunteers were left wounded in a shooting. Finally, on 22 January,
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1095:"El movimiento de Omar Menéndez gana la Alcaldía en Puerto López y eligen reemplazo"
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1048:"Menor de 16 años, segunda víctima tras asesinato de candidato Omar Menéndez"
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around 2007, to take over Intercable, a local retail company specialized in
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According to the reconstructions of local police authorities, at around 8
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1336:"Guillermo Lasso y Diana Atamaint condenan asesinato de Omar Menéndez"
523:, condemned the assassination of Menéndez, with the latter urging the
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791:"Ecuador vive jornada electoral marcada por asesinatos de candidatos"
1226:"Atacan a Richard Firmat, candidato a la alcaldía de Simón Bolívar"
699:"Asesinan a Omar Menéndez, candidato a la alcaldía de Puerto López"
485:
of the murder. The party's leader, Rafael Correa, who had been on
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of Ecuadorian citizens involved in criminal activities related to
1131:"Ecuador set for turbulent referendum to reform the constitution"
424:. He mainly centered his electoral campaign around security and
1298:"¿Quién fue Omar Menéndez? Candidato asesinado en Puerto López"
1368:"Resultados – Elecciones Seccionales, CPCCS Y Referéndum 2023"
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During the ceremony that opened the voting sessions for the
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Menéndez's assassination took place in the context of the
385:, was shot and killed while hosting an electoral rally.
420:, a left-wing political party led by former President
381:, the Popular Unity Movement's candidate for mayor in
572:, being elected posthumously as mayor of the canton.
919:"Ecuador polls: Murdered candidate elected as mayor"
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during his university studies before moving back to
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1258:"Asesinan a un candidato a la Alcaldía de Salinas"
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542:, mourned the loss of the candidate, as well.
1160:Cárdenas Reyes, Alejandra (9 November 2022).
8:
1129:Whitehead, James Francis (22 January 2023).
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502:2023 Ecuadorian constitutional referendum
284:2023 Ecuadorian constitutional referendum
241:2023 Ecuadorian constitutional referendum
71:Assassination of Omar Menéndez (Ecuador)
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16:2023 murder in Puerto López, Ecuador
220:party's candidate for mayor in the
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327:might often see an extradition to
14:
1334:Pinchao, Juan (5 February 2023).
1296:Tapia, Ximena (5 February 2023).
1046:Tapia, Ximena (5 February 2023).
645:List of assassinations in Ecuador
1414:Politicians elected posthumously
1202:(in Spanish). 21 December 2022.
1167:Corte Constitucional del Ecuador
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1409:February 2023 events in Ecuador
1264:(in Spanish). 21 January 2023.
1234:(in Spanish). 10 January 2023.
1103:(in Spanish). 6 February 2023.
1006:(in Italian). 8 February 2023.
799:(in Spanish). 5 February 2023.
754:(in Spanish). 5 February 2023.
707:(in Spanish). 4 February 2023.
630:2023 Ecuadorian local elections
414:2023 Ecuadorian local elections
280:2023 Ecuadorian local elections
234:2023 Ecuadorian local elections
42:Assassination of Omar Menéndez
1:
335:Violence during the elections
311:international organized crime
1404:Deaths by person in Ecuador
1162:"SENTENCIA No. 4-22-RC/22A"
447:Assassination and aftermath
428:: he proposed to install a
418:Citizen Revolution Movement
305:, which would legalize the
218:Citizen Revolution Movement
216:man who was running as the
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640:Ecuadorian security crisis
575:As for Article 112 of the
555:National Electoral Council
510:National Electoral Council
434:National Police of Ecuador
373:'s candidate for mayor in
357:'s candidate for mayor in
303:proposed in the referendum
292:nationwide security crisis
245:nationwide security crisis
1372:elecciones2023.cne.gob.ec
508:and the president of the
430:video-surveillance system
416:, being nominated by the
274:Social-political scenario
178:Assassination by shooting
46:
1135:Courthouse News Service
588:Verónica Lucas Marcillo
538:of Lasso's government,
263:Verónica Lucas Marcillo
139:; 19 months ago
28:Infobox civilian attack
426:industrial development
371:Popular Unity Movement
329:maximum security jails
286:, called by President
186:2 (including Menéndez)
33:considered for merging
342:On 20 December 2022,
379:Julio César Farachio
208:On 4 February 2023,
137:4 February 2023
117:1.56083°S 80.81167°W
927:. 7 February 2023.
862:. 7 February 2023.
568:, Puerto López and
122:-1.56083; -80.81167
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1380:. Retrieved
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1382:10 February
1352:10 February
1341:El Comercio
1314:10 February
1303:El Comercio
1231:El Universo
1199:El Universo
1100:El Comercio
1064:10 February
1053:El Comercio
704:El Universo
580: [
558: [
528: [
513: [
351: [
316:in absentia
307:extradition
255: [
199:Perpetrator
174:Attack type
120: /
95:Coordinates
22:‹ The
1398:Categories
1272:9 February
1242:9 February
1210:9 February
1178:9 February
1145:9 February
1111:9 February
1014:9 February
935:9 February
870:9 February
807:9 February
762:9 February
715:9 February
656:References
566:Machalilla
536:counsellor
359:Portoviejo
269:Background
214:Ecuadorian
144:2023-02-04
108:80°48′42″W
105:01°33′39″S
796:France 24
480:Reactions
474:extortion
395:Guayaquil
89:, Ecuador
31:is being
1376:Archived
1346:Archived
1308:Archived
1266:Archived
1236:Archived
1204:Archived
1172:Archived
1139:Archived
1105:Archived
1058:Archived
1008:Archived
929:Archived
924:BBC News
864:Archived
859:CBS News
801:Archived
756:Archived
709:Archived
594:See also
452:Shooting
321:Colombia
150:Circa 8
79:Location
35:. ›
24:template
1003:Il Post
570:Salango
412:in the
383:Salinas
299:elected
232:in the
202:Unknown
191:Injured
142: (
389:Victim
369:, the
346:, the
222:canton
183:Deaths
163:Target
651:Notes
584:]
562:]
532:]
517:]
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259:]
1384:2023
1354:2023
1316:2023
1274:2023
1244:2023
1212:2023
1180:2023
1147:2023
1113:2023
1066:2023
1016:2023
937:2023
872:2023
809:2023
764:2023
717:2023
133:Date
462:UTC
224:of
158:−5)
156:UTC
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582:es
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403:IT
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