The assassination of Fernando Villavicencio, a candidate in Ecuador's presidential election, took place.

 

A contender participating in Ecuador's upcoming presidential election has been tragically killed during a campaign rally.

Fernando Villavicencio, a member of the country's national assembly, was subjected to an attack as he was leaving the event in the northern city of Quito on Wednesday.

A member of his campaign team informed local media that Mr. Villavicencio was about to enter a car when an individual approached and shot him in the head.

The incumbent president, Guillermo Lasso, pledged that the "perpetrators of this crime will face justice."

Eyewitnesses reported that Mr. Villavicencio, aged 59, sustained three gunshot wounds.

The suspected assailant engaged in a gunfire exchange with security personnel and subsequently succumbed to his injuries, as stated by the nation's attorney general on social media.

The initial round of the presidential election is slated to occur on August 20th.

Mr. Lasso, who is not running for re-election, expressed his deep dismay and astonishment at the killing, further asserting, "While organized crime may have made strides, the full force of the law will be brought to bear upon them."

A recent upsurge in violent crime, driven by the increasing presence of drug cartels in Ecuador, has taken center stage during this year's presidential campaign.

In the previous month, Mr. Lasso took the step of declaring states of emergency and implementing night curfews in three provinces, a response to a series of killings that were attributed to organized crime.

In addition to matters of security, Mr. Villavicencio's campaign placed significant emphasis on combating corruption, a subject he had previously covered during his career as a journalist, as well as addressing the issue of environmental degradation.

Just last week, he disclosed that both he and his team had received threats from the leader of a gang associated with drug trafficking.

Although not the frontrunner, Mr. Villavicencio was among the eight candidates participating in the initial round of the election.

His assassination comes in the wake of the killings of Agustín Intriago, the mayor of Manta, in July, and Omar Menéndez, a mayoral candidate in Puerto López, in February.

In a tribute, former vice president and fellow candidate Otto Sonnenholzner extended his "most heartfelt condolences and unwavering solidarity" to Mr. Villavicencio's family, noting that he was a husband and father of five children.

"May he find eternal peace in God's embrace," he penned. "Our nation is spiraling out of control."

Leading candidate Luisa Gonzales also expressed her "full support" for Mr. Villavicencio's family, asserting, "This despicable act will not go without consequences."