Fernando Villavicencio, a prominent candidate in Ecuador’s imminent presidential election, was fatally shot during a campaign gathering in the capital on Wednesday. The incident marks a distressing escalation of violence and lawlessness in the South American nation.
Responding to the heinous act, Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso expressed unwavering determination to bring the perpetrators to justice. He declared a state of emergency for 60 days, ordered the immediate deployment of armed forces across the country, and called for three days of national mourning.
Villavicencio met his untimely demise as he was leaving a campaign rally at a school north of the capital, Quito, just ten days before the scheduled first round of the presidential election.
A vocal member of the National Assembly, Villavicencio had been a vocal critic of corruption and the violence fueled by drug trade within Ecuador. He spoke candidly on CNN En Español Conclusiones in May, asserting that Ecuador had descended into a “narco state.” He pledged to lead a campaign against what he termed the “political mafia.”
The alleged assailant was taken into custody by the police after an exchange of gunfire with security personnel. Ecuador’s Attorney General’s Office announced this development on the platform formerly known as Twitter.
The authorities have initiated an inquiry into the attack, which left nine individuals wounded, including a National Assembly candidate and two police officers.
Subsequently, the Ecuadorian Prosecutor’s Office disclosed that six individuals had been apprehended during raids in Quito’s Conocoto and San Bartolo neighborhoods. Villavicencio’s body was transferred to a morgue for an autopsy.
Footage circulating on social media appears to capture the tragic moment of Villavicencio’s shooting. The video shows him walking away from the campaign event towards a vehicle, accompanied by police officers and onlookers. As he enters the back seat of the vehicle, a barrage of at least 12 gunshots echoes. A police officer swiftly closes the door, and amidst the chaos, numerous people take cover, including Villavicencio’s security detail.
