The appeal hearing for the case involving the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was declared failed due to the absence of a defense lawyer and inadequate notification to the defense team.
On February 25, 2024, an appeal hearing concerning the conviction of Erick Ramírez, an accomplice in the assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, was declared failed by judges Leonardo Barriga, Lady Ávila, and Diana Fernández. The hearing was pivotal as it aimed to overturn the first-level sentence involving four of the five material authors of the crime, which took place on August 9, 2023, during a campaign event. The failure of the hearing was primarily attributed to the absence of Christian Peñaherrera, Ramírez’s defense lawyer, and a lack of proper notification to the defense team, notably concerning Edwin Angulo, alias 'Invisible'.
