• Amandita Villavicencio Sandoval, daughter of former presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, who was assassinated on August 9, 2023, during the electoral campaign, has organized a protest in Quito on February 25 to demand justice for Villavicencio’s murder. 
• The demonstration will take place in front of the Fiscalia General del Estado (FGE, State Attorney General’s Office), located at the intersection of Avenida Patria and Juan Leon Mera at 16:00 (local time). 

1. Five individuals have been arrested in connection with the murder of Fernando Villavicencio, all of whom are reportedly affiliated with the criminal organization Los Lobos. Additionally, seven other suspects previously processed in relation to the case were killed while in custody at the Penitenciaria del Litoral prison in Guayaquil, Guayas province. However, none of these individuals have been formally charged as the intellectual authors of the crime. In response, Sandoval has organized the upcoming protest under the slogan, “Who ordered the assassination of Fernando Villavicencio?” 
2. Sit-ins and protests demanding justice for Villavicencio have been organized intermittently across Ecuador, most of which have seen attendance ranging from the mid-dozens to low hundreds. One of the most recent protests took place on June 28, 2024, outside the Complejo Judicial Norte de Quito (North Judicial Complex in Quito), which attracted a turnout between the high dozens-to-low hundreds and transpired peacefully. 
3. FORECAST: Based on past associated demonstrations and the social media traction on Sandoval’s protest call, the upcoming demonstration is expected to draw a similar turnout ranging in the high dozens-to-low hundreds. Activists are likely to carry banners and chant in protest of the judicial system, as seen on June 28, 2024. However, the rally is unlikely to escalate into notable instances of unrest, given the peaceful nature of previous associated demonstrations and the lack of inflammatory rhetoric from the organizers. Nonetheless, a security presence is expected outside the FGE building to monitor the proceedings and regulate traffic. Additionally, localized disruptions to both vehicular and pedestrian traffic can be anticipated near the protest site. 

Those residing or operating in Quito on February 25 are advised to allot for disruptions to pedestrian and vehicular traffic near the Fiscalia General del Estado due to the slated protest during the evening hours.