In a shocking development just days before Ecuador’s crucial run-off election, six men suspected of involvement in the August murder of anti-corruption presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio were killed in a Guayaquil penitentiary on Friday, as announced by the attorney general’s office.

Ecuador’s government swiftly condemned the killings, and outgoing President Guillermo Lasso pledged transparency and a thorough investigation. In a post on the social media platform X, he stated, “Neither complicity nor cover-up. Here the truth will be known.”

The SNAI prisons agency revealed that the victims were all Colombian nationals, providing no further details on the circumstances of their deaths. Villavicencio, a prominent journalist and anti-corruption advocate, was fatally shot less than two weeks before the first round of the general election.

Police had arrested the six Colombians on the day of Villavicencio’s assassination, and a seventh suspect was shot and killed by police. The government remains committed to identifying those responsible for the murder.

The upcoming second round run-off vote on October 15 has been marred by violence throughout the election cycle. Business heir Daniel Noboa, leading in some polls ahead of the run-off, called for details on the prison incident and emphasised the need to restore peace in the country.

Noboa’s main rival, Luisa Gonzalez, a protege of leftist former President Rafael Correa, highlighted the unprecedented surge in crime and urged voters not to let “terror” deter them from voting for change. As Ecuador braces for a critical electoral decision, the recent prison violence adds a grim layer to an already tense political landscape.