Ecuador judge deliberates trial for Fernando Villavicencio assassination suspects

A judge has entered the deliberation phase in the 'Magnicidio FV' case to determine whether seven defendants will proceed to trial for the intellectual authorship and financing of the assassination of former presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.

The prosecution has ratified its accusations against the seven defendants, which include former Interior Minister José Serrano, former assemblyman Ronny Aleaga, Xavier Jordán, Daniel Salcedo, and leaders of the 'Los Lobos' gang, Wilmer Chaverra B. (alias 'Pipo') and Luis Arboleda (alias 'Gordo Luis'), along with Esteban Aguilar. The Attorney General's Office has requested trial for all accused and extradition proceedings for those currently located outside of Ecuador.

During the preparatory hearing, defense attorneys presented various arguments. For instance, the defense for José Serrano argued that he is not directly linked to the case, noting he is only mentioned once in the 'Metástasis' chats and was absent from a specific photograph in Miami. The defense also claimed that certain testimonies are from 'mercenary' criminals and suggested that the identity of an interlocutor in the chats might be Helive Angulo rather than Xavier Jordán. The judge is expected to notify the parties of the resolution regarding the trial summons at a later date.