Ecuadorian right-wing Presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was assassinated at a campaign rally on Wednesday.
Fernando Villavicencio was reportedly shot in the head three times.
A grenade was also found at the scene.
WATCH:
Quedó grabado el Momento exacto en que matan a Fernando Villavicencio!! pic.twitter.com/7kpqUzwzQ4
— Emergencias Ec (@EmergenciasEc) August 10, 2023
According to local media reports, supporters of Fernando Villavicencio managed to capture a suspect after the assassination.
WATCH:
Simpatizantes de Fernando Villavicencio lograron capturar a un sospechoso del crimen al candidato. pic.twitter.com/juqh67WlYk
— Ronald Vinces (@RonaldVinces5) August 10, 2023
Additional footage of the immediate aftermath and chaos was posted to Twitter.
WATCH:
#URGENTE
SICARIOS DISPARAN A FERNANDO VILLAVICENCIO A LA SALIDA DE UN MITIN COLEGIO ANDERSON EN QUITO pic.twitter.com/saiTeqKb7R— christian zurita :. (@christianzr) August 9, 2023
First responders rushed Fernando Villavicencio into the emergency room but he didn’t survive.
WATCH:
BREAKING VIDEO: Medical staff and first responders rushing Ecuador Presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio into the emergency room
He did not survive pic.twitter.com/U4NdUuWTVO
— Eric Spracklen🇺🇸 (@EricSpracklen) August 10, 2023
El Pais reported:
The candidate for the presidency of Ecuador Fernando Villavicencio was shot to death this Wednesday afternoon after participating in a campaign event in Quito. The attack occurred in a school in the capital from which the applicant came. Villavicencio, whom most polls placed in fourth or fifth position among the opponents who will dispute the succession of Guillermo Lasso on August 20, presented himself as a battering ram against corruption under the slogan It’s time for the brave.
The 59-year-old politician was a member of the Assembly until its dissolution and chaired the audit commission. He was criticized for his actions in the impeachment process against Lasso, because that commission issued a report favorable to the president that did not have the support of other legislators. The attack occurs when there are 11 days to go before the elections in a country asphyxiated by an unprecedented crisis. During the campaign, the mayor of Manta, a key port for drug trafficking, and a candidate for the Assembly have been assassinated.
This is a breaking story…please check back for updates.
