The wave of violence orbiting Ecuador’s August 20 elections took another tragic step forward yesterday after 60-year-old presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was shot dead during a campaign rally in the country’s capital, Quito.
In footage that went viral on social media, Mr. Villavicencio was shot multiple times immediately after getting into a car. Ecuadorian prosecutors later said the man accused of pulling the trigger also died after being caught in the crossfire shortly after the assassination.
Este es el momento en el que asesinan al candidato presidencial Fernando Villavicencio, cuando salía de un mitin político en Quito. https://t.co/0prh1aGm6T pic.twitter.com/AOvi4lT7Cp
— Primicias (@Primicias) August 10, 2023
In addition to the candidate, at least nine people were wounded in the attack, including two police officers and a legislative candidate. The assassination was confirmed late in the evening by Interior Minister Juan Zapata and condemned by President Guillermo Lasso, who promised “the crime will not go unpunished.”
Mr. Lasso announced three days of official mourning in Ecuador, as well as a nationwide state of exception to ensure the August 20 elections can go ahead.
Shortly before his murder, Mr. Villavicencio said he had received death threats from notorious drug cartels. Friends of the victim linked the crime to other mayoral assassinations earlier this year, adding that police failed to protect him despite knowing he was “96 percent at risk.”
The brutal act is the latest in a frightening escalation of violence the country has seen in the aftermath of the pandemic. Clashes between gangs have led to several prison massacres that have left hundreds dead as the country has become a major hub in the international drug trade.
As The Brazilian Report explained yesterday, the snap elections scheduled for next week will be heavily influenced by violence. Record homicide statistics could boost tough-on-crime candidates.
Fernando Villavicencio, ranked fourth in the most recent polls, was a journalist by profession, best known for being one of the founders of Ecuador’s indigenous party Pachakutik. He later became a notorious rival of former President Rafael Correa, hiding in the jungle and fleeing to Peru when he was facing legal charges.
This year, he led the presidential ticket of the centrist Movimiento Construye, with environmentalist Andrea González as his running mate. The close race for second place meant that he had a chance of qualifying for the runoff.
Ms. González has not yet confirmed whether she will replace Mr. Villavicencio as the party’s candidate.
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