Prosecutors in Ecuador have charged a former interior minister and six others on suspicion of being involved in the assassination of a presidential candidate in 2023. José Serrano and the head of cartel Los Lobos, Wilmer “Pipo” Chavarria, were implicated in the murder of Fernando Villavicencio at a campaign event in the capital, Quito, days before the election. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2013 for the murder of Serrano’s brother but fled after being granted parole. The other accused is senior Los Lobos member Luis Arboleda. Pre-trial hearings are currently taking place and a judge will decide whether prosecutors have a case that can proceed to a full trial.