International
The trial for the murder of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio begins in Ecuador
The Justice of Ecuador began on Tuesday the trial for the murder of the then presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, at the hands of hitmen on August 9, 2023, eleven days before the celebration of the first round of the extraordinary general elections.
When presenting the facts at the trial hearing, the Prosecutor’s Office recalled that the attackers shot and injured 14 people, including Villavicencio, 3 police officers, political militants and a person who was driving in a vehicle.
At the hearing, a video was also presented with the anticipated testimony of a protected witness who narrated his participation in previous planning meetings, but not in the murder of the one who was a candidate for the Ecuadorian presidency.
In the version he pointed out that one of those involved in the crime would have told him days after the murder that “that head (that of Fernando Villavicencio) was worth 200,000 dollars and was sent to be done by the Government of Correa,” the Primicias portal published.
Former President Rafael Correa, who ruled Ecuador between 2007 and 2017, reacted on his social network X account to the publication of Primicias: “It was time… The same formula: protected and anonymous ‘witness’. Anyway…”
The Prosecutor’s Office recalled that after the attack in Villavicencio he was transferred to a clinic, where his death was confirmed, while the attackers fled with the exception of one, “who was neutralized at the scene and transferred to the flagrante deception unit, where his death was confirmed.”
He added that the Police raided a home in Quito where he arrested six people for their alleged participation in the crime: Andrés M., José L., Adey G., Camilo R., Jules C. and Jhon R., now deceased, so the criminal action against them was extinguished.
The investigations determined the alleged involvement of seven other people: Carlos A., Laura C. Erick R., Alfonso F., Alexandra Ch., José M. (deceased) and another citizen who was dismissed, the Prosecutor’s Office added.
He pointed out that Carlos A. alias “invisible” considered a mediate author, was part of the criminal group called ‘Los Lobos’ and on the day of the murder he was imprisoned in a prison.
“Through a cell phone he gave the disposition to Johan C. (deceased) to execute the shots,” the Public Ministry said, adding that Laura C. would have been in charge of the logistics, and Alexandra Ch. would be an accomplice because she sent information from inside the site where Villavicencio led the political rally.
On this first day, the defense of alias ‘Invisible’ expressed that the phone from which the information that relates his defendant to the case has been extracted is contaminated, since since the beginning of the case it was violated with the due chain of custody, Primicias narrated.
At the trial hearing, installed on the fourth attempt and under a strong security device, Hugo Espin, lawyer for Villavicencio’s wife, Verónica Sarauz, recalled that seven of the defendants were murdered.
“We have always had the concern that the investigation was quite biased to the part of the execution of the crime, not to the intellectual authorship,” he said.
And he said that they will now review “within the versions and within the different exhibitions that will be held, precisely how far we should take an investigation and, eventually, we have already analyzed the presentation of a different complaint that makes a goal case.”
In the early hours of this Tuesday’s hearing, the versions of four witnesses from the Prosecutor’s Office were heard, including the police officer in charge of the removal of the body of Villavicencio.
The murdered political leader participated in the extraordinary elections called after the then head of state, Guillermo Lasso, dissolved Parliament and called for elections, in which Daniel Noboa finally triumphed in the second round.
International
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
Japanese police arrested a man on Thursday after he rammed his car into a group of seven schoolchildren in an apparent deliberate attack in the city of Osaka.
The children, who were on their way home from school, sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. All seven remained conscious, according to local authorities.
An Osaka police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the suspect is a 28-year-old man from Tokyo. The officer shared statements the man made after his arrest: “I was fed up with everything, so I decided to kill people by driving into several elementary school children,” the suspect reportedly said.
The man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
The injured children, aged between seven and eight, included a seven-year-old girl who suffered a fractured jaw. The six other children—all boys—suffered minor injuries such as bruises and scratches and were undergoing medical evaluation.
Witnesses described the car as “zigzagging” before hitting the children. One witness told Nippon TV that a girl was “covered in blood” and the others appeared to have scratches.
Another witness said the driver, who was wearing a face mask, looked to be in shock when school staff pulled him from the vehicle.
Violent crimes are rare in Japan, though serious incidents do occur from time to time. In 2008, Tomohiro Kato drove a two-ton truck into pedestrians in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, then fatally stabbed several victims. Seven people were killed in that attack.
Internacionales
Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
May Day protests in France were marked by a heavy police presence and clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement in several cities.
In Paris, Lyon, and Nantes, thousands took to the streets to demand better wages, fairer working conditions, and to voice their dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
While the majority of the demonstrations remained peaceful, isolated confrontations broke out in some areas. Protesters threw objects at the police, prompting the use of tear gas and resulting in several arrests.
Videos showing police crackdowns circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from labor unions and human rights advocates, who denounced the authorities’ response to the protests.
International
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.
During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.
“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.
“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”
Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.
On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
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