An Ecuadorian presidential candidate was shot dead on Wednesday while he was speaking at a political rally in the country's capital of Quito. The suspect, an unidentified gunman, too died after suffering injuries in the retaliatory shooting.
The death of Fernando Villavicencio was confirmed by Ecuador President Guillermo Alberto Santiago Lasso Mendoza. "For his memory and his fight, I assure you that this crime will not remain unpunished," President Guillermo Lasso said on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Organized crime has gone very far, but all the weight of the law will fall on them."
Lasso added that he has convened an urgent meeting.
According to the attorney general's office, the suspect was injured during the shootout with security personnel. Though he was apprehended, his condition worsened. "An ambulance from the fire department confirmed his death, and the police are proceeding with collection of the cadaver," the attorney general's office added.
Footage doing rounds on social media showed people screaming and running for cover amid gunfire sounds. Villavicencio was seen walking out of the event to enter a white truck, surrounded by his guards when the gunfire erupted. Several others have been injured in the attack, though authorities did not confirm how many.
According to Villavicencio's party Movimiento Construye, armed men attacked its Quito offices in a separate incident. "We have not yet found a way to react to the horror and pain of the assassination of our presidential candidate," it said in a statement on X.
The party added that after the assassination of the mayor of the Ecuadorian Pacific port city of Manta, Agustin Intriago, there were discussions on suspending the campaign or redoubling security. "Fernando was radical about it and shared on his social media: "Guarding silence and hiding in moments when criminals assassin citizens and authorities is an act of cowardice," the statement added.
Villavicencio's murder was condemned by the Organisation of American States (OAS). "We urge all candidates to strengthen their security measures and call upon the authorities to provide the necessary support to guarantee the integrity of the participants in the electoral process. The security of candidates is fundamental to maintaining confidence in the democratic system."
The US too flayed the incident. U.S. Ambassador to Ecuador Mike Fitzpatrick said he was deeply dismayed to learn of the assassination of
Fernando Villavicencio, who was "a fighter against the corruption and narco-criminals who have done so much damage to Ecuador." "The U.S. Government strongly condemns this attack and offers urgent investigative assistance," Fitzpatrick added.
The killing comes amid a startling wave of violence in the South American nation, with drug trafficking and violent killings on the rise.
Who was Fernando Villavicencio
Villavicencio, 59, was one of the eight presidential candidates of Ecuador. He was one of the most critical voices against corruption, especially during the government of former President Rafael Correa from 2007 to 2017. He filed many judicial complaints against high-ranking members of the Correa government.
For this, Villavicencio was sentenced to 18 months in prison for defamation over statements made against the former president. However, he fled to Indigenous territory within Ecuador and later was given asylum in Peru.
Villavicencio was criticized by opposition politicians for obstructing an impeachment process this year against Lasso, which lead the latter to call the early elections, according to Reuters.
