World

Ecuador: Presidential Candidate Fernando Villavicencio Shot Dead During Rally Event

A presidential candidate from Ecuador known for speaking out against corruption was shot dead on Wednesday during a political gathering in the South Ameriacan country.

President Guillermo Lasso acknowledged Fernando Villavicencio’s assassination and suggested organized crime was responsible, less than two weeks before the August 20 presidential election.

“I assure you that this crime will not go unpunished,” Lasso said in a statement. “Organized crime has gone too far, but they will feel the full weight of the law.”

Prior to the shooting, Villavicencio claimed he had received numerous death threats, including from officials of Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, an international criminal gang operating in Ecuador.

Villavicencio was one of eight candidates, but he wasn’t a frontrunner. The 59-year-old politician was a candidate of the Build Ecuador Movement. According to Ecuador’s attorney general’s office, a suspect in Villavicencio’s assassination died of injuries after being captured.

Ecuador, a typically peaceful country, has seen an increase in violence in the last year as drug traffickers come to the South American country, resulting in a troubling increase in drug trafficking, violent deaths, and child trafficking by gangs.

Social media videos show the candidate leaving the event accompanied by security. The footage then shows Villavicencio getting into a white pickup truck, followed by gunfire and activity around the vehicle. Patricio Zuquilanda, Villavicencio’s campaign adviser, confirmed the series of events to The Associated Press.

According to Zuquilanda, the candidate got at least three death threats before the actual shooting, which he reported to authorities, resulting in one arrest. He urged international authorities to intervene in the crisis, blaming it on escalating violence and drug trafficking.

“The Ecuadorian people are crying, and Ecuador is mortally wounded,” he declared. “Politics cannot lead to the death of any member of society.”

Other contenders requested action in response to the assassination, with presidential frontrunner Luisa González of the Citizen Revolution party saying, “When they touch one of us, they touch all of us.”

Also Read: Delhi Man ‘Buys’ Wife In Rs70,000, Kills And Dumps Woman’s Body In Forest, Case Filed

Shivanshi Srivastava

Recent Posts

Subhash Ghai Hails PM Modi’s Transformative Vision For India

Subhash Ghai has praised PM Narendra Modi’s leadership for catalysing India’s growth and changing the…

13 mins ago

India & Central Asia Boost Rare Earth Cooperation At Delhi Meet

India and five Central Asian nations have agreed to deepen cooperation on rare earths and…

53 mins ago

PM Modi’s Beej Se Bazaar Tak Vision Reshapes Indian Agriculture

Prime Minister Modi has redefined Indian agriculture with the ‘Beej Se Bazaar Tak’ vision, transforming…

1 hour ago

EV Sales Cross 4% Mark In May; Signalling Steady Shift To Green Mobility

EV sales topped 4% of passenger vehicle retail in May 2025, signalling growing demand for…

2 hours ago

Self-Reliant Defence Industry Marks India’s Strategic Security Ascent

One year into Modi 3.0, reforms have reduced poverty, strengthened defence, and accelerated the digital…

2 hours ago

Survey Shows Over 88% Indians Trust PM Modi On National Interest & Security

A recent News18 survey reveals that more than 88 per cent of Indians trust Prime…

2 hours ago