Ecuador's outgoing President Guillermo Lasso has vowed to hunt down the assassins of slain presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, who was shot while campaigning in the capital Quito Wednesday (August 9).
Lasso said organized crime has been rampant in his country, "but the full weight of the law will fall on them."
The suspected gunman died after exchanging shots with police.
It was later revealed the criminal gang called "Los Lobos" (The Wolves), one of Ecuador's largest criminal outfits, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Lasso announced a state of emergency for 60 days, immediate mobilization of the armed forces across the country, and three days of national mourning, CNN reported.
The election, scheduled for August 20, would go ahead as planned, Ecuadorian electoral council chief Diana Atamaint said Thursday (August 10).
Villavicencio was survived by his wife and their five children.
Han asesinado a Fernando Villavicencio. Ecuador se ha convertido en un Estado fallido.
— Rafael Correa (@MashiRafael) August 10, 2023
Dueles Patria.
Mi solidaridad con su familia y con todas las familias de las víctimas de la violencia.
Los que pretenden sembrar aún más odio con esta nueva tragedia, ojalá entiendan que…
Reaction to the Shooting
Meanwhile, several key political figures in Ecuador and around the world also expressed their sentiments on the death of Villavicencio aside from Lasso.
The Ecuadorian Attorney-General's office said they are launching an investigation into the shooting, which also injured nine people, including a candidate for the National Assembly, Ecuador's parliament, and two police officers.
Six people have been arrested by police during follow-up raids in Quito's Conocoto and San Bartolo neighborhoods.
Videos of the shooting have been shared on social media following the incident.
Villavicencio's sister, Patricia, told local media the national government and the interior ministry were responsible for the death of her brother for the alleged lack of police protection, something Ecuadorian interior minister Juan Zapata earlier assured.
Former Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa, on the other hand, said the country has become a failed state. "Those who intend to sow even more hatred with this new tragedy, I hope they understand that it only continues to destroy us," he added.
The US Ambassador to Ecuador Michael J. Fitzpatrick said in a statement he was "deeply shocked" by Villavicencio's assassination, calling him a "fighter against the corrupt and narco-criminals who have done so much damage to Ecuador." He added the US "strongly" condemned the attack and is willing to extend assistance to Ecuadorian authorities in investigating the incident.
Who Was Fernando Villavicencio?
As a lawmaker, Villavicencio has been outspoken about corruption and the violence caused by drug trafficking in Ecuador. He even told CNN's Spanish language bureau that his country is becoming a "narco-state," and he is running for president to lead the fight against what he called the "political mafia."
While his death was high-profile, Villavicencio was not the top pick to become the next Ecuadorian president. The frontrunner distinction goes to fellow candidate Luisa González, who also condemned the attack on her competitor.
Prior to politics, Villavicencio was a journalist who obtained documents about a government surveillance program under the presidency of Correa that he sent to WikiLeaks but eventually published himself. For this, he was forced into exile in Peru in 2017 to seek political asylum there.
