QUITO: Authorities said that presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio of Ecuador was assassinated at a campaign event on Wednesday. Villavicencio was a vociferous critic of corruption and organized crime.

About 30 shots were fired at a rally in northern Quito, according to local media. Social media videos appeared to show Villavicencio getting into a car after the incident, followed by the sounds of shooting and people screaming.
However, outgoing President Guillermo Lasso acknowledged that police safely exploded a grenade left behind by the assassins. The Ecuadorian police and Interior Ministry did not respond to repeated requests for comment on the facts of the incident.
Explosion from outside the rally venue in Quito, Ecuador, on August 9, 2023, where presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was assassinated by a homemade bomb. Photographed by REUTERS staff on August 9, 2023 in Quito, Ecuador, the controlled detonation of an explosive device left near the rally venue where presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was slain. IMAGING BY: REUTERS
Lasso said in a video message released after midnight local time that he had spoken with security and electoral officials and that they agreed that “this is a political crime, which has the character of terrorism,” adding that they had no doubt that the murder was an attempt to disrupt the electoral process.
Lasso called for a national state of emergency and three days of mourning, stating that the military would be mobilized to ensure security. He also confirmed that the August 20 presidential election would proceed as scheduled.
According to the state’s attorney general, one of the criminal suspects was shot and killed throughout the course of the investigation. Nine other individuals were hurt during the assault, including a legislative candidate and two police officers.
The office later said that, following raids in Quito, they had apprehended six suspects.
Violence on the Rise
The government of Lasso has blamed gang warfare over drug trafficking routes utilized by Mexican cartels, the Albanian mafia, and others for the increase in street and jail violence.
Voters’ main worries in the current presidential election are safety, jobs, and immigration.
If elected, Villavicencio promised to crack down on corruption and increase tax collection. Opinion polls showed that he received 7.5% support, putting him in fifth place out of eight candidates.
In a second incident, Villavicencio’s party, Movimiento Construye, reported on X (previously Twitter) that its offices in Quito had been stormed by armed individuals. Due to political violence, including the assassination of the mayor of Manta in July, the party recently discussed the possibility of suspending campaigning.
“keeping silent and hiding in moments when criminals assassinate citizens and authorities is an act of cowardice,” Villavicencio was quoted as saying in opposition to the suspension.
On Tuesday, the candidate, a former unionist and journalist, reported an oil business to the attorney general’s office, but no additional specifics of his report were made public.
Chimborazo native and former Petroecuador union member Villavicencio went on to expose the firm for allegedly losing millions of dollars in oil contracts.
Several communities, including Alausi, Villavicencio’s birthplace, held late-night marches condemning the murder.
Abandoned nation
After being found guilty of defamation for allegations he made about former president Rafael Correa, Villavicencio was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
He initially sought refuge in Indigenous area within Ecuador, but was ultimately granted asylum in Peru.
“Ecuador has become a failed state,” Correa, who now resides in Belgium, said on X. Those who would use this tragedy to foment more hatred should realize it would only lead to further destruction, but I fear they don’t.
Opposition legislators have accused Villavicencio of blocking an impeachment process this year against Lasso, which prompted Lasso to demand for early elections.
The killing was shocking to the other candidates running for office.
All of us are saddened by this news, and I offer my condolences to his loved ones and those who share his beliefs. On X, Correa’s presidential contender Luisa Gonzalez vowed that justice would be served for the heinous crime.
Yaku Perez, an indigenous candidate for president, announced in a video recorded after the event that he had decided to quit his campaign and urged an end to the violence.
Later, Perez revealed that he had been in touch with other potential candidates in search of a “pact for security.”
We don’t want to have to use words with the government. Act. Otto Sonnenholzner, a contender, said as much at a news conference.
Today, more than ever, a firm response is required when dealing with criminal activity. Jan Topic, another presidential candidate, remarked on X, “May God have him in his glory.” He then announced his own campaign suspension.