Omar Menéndez

On 4 February 2023, Omar Menéndez, a 41-year-old Ecuadorian man who was running as the Citizen Revolution Movement party's candidate for mayor in the canton of Puerto López, Manabí Province in the 2023 Ecuadorian local elections, was shot and killed by two unidentified men just a few hours before the ballots were officially opened. Three other people were injured in the same shooting, including a 16-year-old volunteer, who eventually died from complications after being taken to the hospital. As for Article 112 of the , the regional office of the Citizen Revolution Movement was allowed to indicate a new candidate to replace him:

Lasso, originally elected as President in April 2021, aimed to tackle the rising crime wave through one of the eight changes to the constitution proposed in the referendum, which would legalize the extradition of Ecuadorian citizens involved in criminal activities related to international organized crime, including drug trafficking itself, whether they were facing a trial abroad or they were already sentenced in absentia. The proposal sparked debate and criticism, On 9 January 2023, Richard Firmat, the Popular Unity Movement's candidate for mayor in Simón Bolívar, and one of his volunteers were left wounded in a shooting. Finally, on 22 January, Julio César Farachio, the Popular Unity Movement's candidate for mayor in Salinas, was shot and killed while hosting an electoral rally.

Victim Omar Menéndez, who was 41 at the time of his killing, was best known as an entrepreneur, who had lived in Guayaquil during his university studies before moving back to Puerto López around 2007, He was married to Génesis Gonzáles, However, officers revealed that Menéndez had suffered an extortion attempt just a few days before being assassinated. being elected posthumously as mayor of the canton.

As for Article 112 of the , the regional office of the Citizen Revolution Movement was allowed to indicate a new candidate to replace the late Menéndez: shortly after the election's results were publicly shared, Verónica Lucas Marcillo was registered by the party as the newly-appointed mayor of Puerto López, as she was set to be officially sworn in on 14 May 2023.