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Following a rally in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was tragically killed in an armed attack.
His campaign manager, Patricio Zuquilanda, disclosed to The Associated Press that Villavicencio had received multiple death threats leading up to the fatal incident.
One such threat even led to an arrest after being reported.
Villavicencio, a 59-year-old independent journalist-turned-politician, was known for his investigations into government corruption.
During his final rally, he vowed to combat corruption and enforce stricter criminal penalties. Social media footage showed the journalist being escorted to a truck shortly before the fatal gunshots.
Commenting on the tragic event, Zuquilanda remarked, “The loss has deeply hurt Ecuador. Politics should never culminate in the loss of life.”
Previously, Villavicencio had identified threats from affiliates of Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel.
Recognizing the danger he faced from organized crime factions operating in Ecuador, Villavicencio bravely said, “I stand undeterred,” referring to crime boss José Adolfo Macías as “Fito”.
President Guillermo Lasso reported an attempted grenade attack by the assailants, which police neutralized safely.
The subsequent investigation by Ecuador’s authorities resulted in one suspect dying in a gunfight, while six others were apprehended.
Lasso speculated a connection between the assassination and organized crime.
Despite the tragedy, he emphasized that the scheduled elections on August 20 will proceed and announced three days of national mourning.
Opponent and former Vice President Otto Sonnenholzner expressed his grief, stating, “Our nation is immersed in sorrow, and such a life is undeserved.”
The Associated Press noted Villavicencio’s outspokenness against the alleged corruption under former President Rafael Correa’s tenure.
He had faced legal repercussions for his criticisms, leading to his seeking asylum in Peru after a brief prison sentence.
Villavicencio is remembered as a loving family man, leaving behind a wife and five children.