Fernando Villavicencio Cause of Death

Fernando Villavicencio, an Ecuadorian presidential candidate known for speaking out against cartels and corruption, was shot and killed during a political rally in the capital on Wednesday, August 7 2923, amid a shocking wave of gang-driven violence in the South American country.

President Guillermo Lasso announced Fernando Villavicencio’s assassination and suggested organised crime was responsible, less than two weeks before the August 20 presidential election.

“I assure you that this crime will not go unpunished,” Lasso said in a statement. “Organized crime has gone too far, but they will feel the full weight of the law.”

Ecuador’s attorney general’s office said that one suspect died in custody from wounds sustained in a firefight after the killing, and police detained six suspects following raids in Quito.

Prior to the shooting, Villavicencio claimed he had received many death threats, including from members of Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, one of a plethora of international organised crime gangs operating in Ecuador.

He claimed that his campaign posed a threat to such organisations. “Here I am showing my face. I’m not scared of them,” Villavicencio said in a statement, naming detained crime boss José Adolfo Macías by his alias “Fito.”

Fernando Villavicencio was one of eight candidates, though not the front-runner. Villavicencio was married and is survived by five children.