Presidential Candidate Shot Dead After Rally
The presidential race in Ecuador was shaken by a shocking act of violence on Wednesday, when one of the leading candidates, Fernando Villavicencio, was gunned down after a campaign event in Quito.
The president, Guillermo Lasso, declared a state of emergency and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Villavicencio, a 59-year-old former journalist and lawmaker who had exposed corruption scandals, was leaving a stadium where he had held a rally with his supporters, when he was ambushed by gunmen who fired around 30 shots.
He died on the spot from three bullets to the head, according to local media reports. Nine other people, including a congressional candidate and two police officers, were wounded in the attack.
Lasso, who announced that he would not run for re-election, condemned the assassination as a “political crime” and a “terrorist act” that aimed to sabotage the electoral process.
He said that the killing was carried out by “organised crime”, which he blamed for the surge of violence in the country in recent years.
He ordered the mobilisation of the armed forces to ensure security and stability, and declared three days of national mourning.
The president also confirmed that the general elections scheduled for August 20 would go ahead as planned.
He said that he would honour Villavicencio’s memory and his fight by ensuring that “this crime will not go unpunished”.
The head of the National Electoral Council, Diana Atamaint, echoed his statement and said that “the date of the elections remains unalterable”.
Villavicencio was the second most popular candidate in the polls, with 13 per cent of voter intention. He is behind Luisa Gonzalez, a lawyer and ally of former leftist president Rafael Correa.
Gonzalez and other presidential hopefuls expressed their outrage and solidarity over Villavicencio’s murder, and suspended their campaigns temporarily.
Gonzalez wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that “when they touch one, they touch all. When one’s life is at risk, everyone’s life is at risk”.
The assassination of Villavicencio has shocked and saddened Ecuador and the international community.
US, Spain, Chile and the Organisation of American States observer mission have denounced the crime and called for thorough investigation.
The president of the National Court of Justice, Ivan Saquicela, said he was “very hurt and very worried about Ecuador”.
Ecuador has been plagued by drug-related-violence that’s claimed the lives of a mayor and parliamentary candidate in the past year. The homicide rate has doubled between 2021 and 2022.
