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Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was shot dead at a campaign rally on Wednesday evening.
Footage purportedly of the incident shows Villavicencio leaving the event and entering a vehicle when gunshots are suddenly heard.
Villavicencio was wounded and taken to a nearby medical center before he died. Other people at the event were also wounded, but is unclear how many were hit.
“The Ecuadorian people are crying and Ecuador is mortally wounded,” his campaign adviser Patricio Zuquilanda told the Associated Press.
“Politics cannot lead to the death of any member of society.”
Villavicencio was one of eight candidates in the election scheduled for August 20.
Opinion polls consistently put in him fifth place in recent weeks.
President vows to catch culprits
Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso confirmed the killing on social media and vowed to hold the culprits accountable.
“For his memory and his fight, I assure you that this crime will not remain unpunished,” Lasso said.
“Organized crime has gone very far, but all the weight of the law will fall on them.”
He said he would host an urgent meeting with top security officials.
Who was Fernando Villavicencio?
Villavicencio, 59, was a former journalist who held a seat in Ecuador’s parliament for six years.
He was one of eight candidates at the upcoming election and was supported by the Build Ecuador Movement.
Villavicencio was one of the most critical voices against corruption, especially during the government of former President Rafael Correa from 2007 to 2017.
Zuquilanda said Villavicencio had received death threats in recent weeks as Ecuador faces a gang violence epidemic.
Villavicencio was married and is survived by five children.
More to follow…
zc/lo (EFE, Reuters, AFP, AP)
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