FILE PHOTO: Supporters hold a banner with the picture of slain presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio on the day of the closing campaign rally of Ecuadorean presidential candidate Christian Zurita, who is replacing Villavicencio, in Quito, Ecuador, August 17, 2023. REUTERS/Henry Romero/File Photo
QUITO (Reuters) - A court in Ecuador on Tuesday started a trial against five people accused of murdering presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio last year, where the accused could serve up to 26 years in jail if found guilty.
Journalist and former legislator Villavicencio was shot while leaving a rally in August 2023, becoming the most prominent victim of Ecuador's spiraling violence.
