6 Colombians Held in Assassination of Ecuador Presidential Candidate Reported Slain Inside Prison

Soldiers and police provide security behind an armored vehicle as supporters of presidential candidate Daniel Noboa, of the National Democratic Action Alliance political party, attend a rally with their candidate in downtown Esmeraldas, Ecuador, on Oct. 6, 2023. Rodrigo Abd/AP

QUITO, Ecuador—Six Colombians arrested as the alleged assassins of a candidate in Ecuador’s August presidential election were slain Friday inside a prison in Guayaquil, officials announced, without providing details on what happened.

The prison authority said only that six prisoners killed inside Litoral Penitentiary were the men “charged with the murder of former presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.” It identified them as Jhon Gregore R., Andrés Manuel M., Adey Fernando G., Camilo Andrés R., Sules Osmini C., and José Neyder L.