Ecuadorian presidential candidate shot dead 11 days to election

Fernando Villavicencio, a popular candidate in the Ecuadorian presidential race, has been shot dead after conducting a rally in Quito.

President Guillermo Lasso, in a statement on Twitter now known as X, held organized crime responsible for Villavicencio’s tragic death on Wednesday evening. He expressed his dismay and pledged to ensure that those responsible face legal consequences.

“Outraged and shocked by the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio,” he said. “For his memory and for his fight, I assure you that this crime will not go unpunished.”

There were eight candidates in the first round of the country’s presidential election, scheduled for August 20, including the 59-year-old centrist.

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After hosting a campaign rally, Villavicencio was leaving a stadium in northern Quito when he was killed, according to officials.

According to El Universo, the country’s main newspaper, he was assassinated in a “hitman-style” attack, receiving three shots to the head.

Earlier this month, Villavicencio had complained that he and his team were receiving threats.

Lasso summoned top security officials for an urgent meeting on “this event that has shocked the country.”

“Organized crime has gone too far, but the full weight of the law will be applied to them,” Lasso said in his post.

Based on the latest polls, Villavicencio, a former journalist and parliament member, secured second place in voter support at around 13 per cent. He trailed behind lawyer Luisa Gonzalez, who has close ties to former left-wing president Rafael Correa.

In recent years, drug trafficking has caused a surge in violence in Ecuador. This has resulted in the deaths of a mayor and a parliamentary candidate during the ongoing electoral process.

Diana Atamaint, the President of the National Electoral Council (CNE), announced earlier on Wednesday that several members of her organization, responsible for overseeing the election, had received death threats.

Lasso organized a security meeting and invited Atamaint, as well as the Attorney General, the President of the National Court of Justice, and other officials.

The President also expressed his condolences to Villavicencio’s family, stating, “My solidarity and my condolences with his wife and his daughters.”