An anti-corruption candidate for the presidency of Ecuador was assassinated at a campaign event, according to police.
President Guillermo Lasso confirmed that Fernando Villavicencio, 59, the leader of the Movimiento Construye Party, was murdered by gunmen, one of whom was found dead shortly after. Villavicencio leaves behind a widow and five children. Lasso blamed the attack on organized crime, and promised a crackdown, the Associated Press reported.“I assure you that this crime will not go unpunished,” the president said in a statement.
Villavicencio had announced just a week before that he had been threatened by the leader of a gang, according to the BBC. Though Ecuador has historically been mostly peaceful by the region's standards, crime has exploded over the past year due to a rise in drug trafficking. Crime was one of the issues tackled by Villavicencio's campaign.
“The Ecuadorian people are crying and Ecuador is mortally wounded,” he said. “Politics cannot lead to the death of any member of society.”
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