An anti-corruption candidate seeking to become president of the Central American nation of Ecuador was assassinated Wednesday night.
Fernando Villavicencio, who campaigned on severing connections between criminals and the nation’s government, was shot to death at a campaign rally in Quito, the nation’s capital.
The criminal gang Los Lobos (the Wolves), which with 8,000 members is the second-largest in Ecuador, has claimed responsibility, according to the BBC.
The suspect was shot by security forces and later died.
Authorities have detained six people in connection with the assassination, the report said.
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“When he stepped outside the door, he was met with gunfire,” Villavicencio campaign worker Carlos Figueroa said, according to The New York Times. “There was nothing to be done, because they were shots to the head.”
Videos of the shooting were posted to social media.
WARNING: The following videos contain graphic images that some viewers may find disturbing.
#Magnicidio En 🇪🇨 La Izquierda asesina cobra la vida del candidato de derechas #FernandoVillavicencio.
Estos fueron sus últimos momentos con vida… Que descanse en paz y su tenga la fuerza y respaldo en estos momentos tan dificiles.
QDEP. pic.twitter.com/TOKM1RV0cX— Flor de los Milagros (@FlordelosMilag6) August 10, 2023
BREAKING: Ecuadorian Presidential Candidate Fernando Villavicencio has reportedly been assassinated at a campaign rally.
***The following video is the suspect who was captured at the rally***
According to reports, Villavicencio was shot three times in the head and a grenade was… pic.twitter.com/Eux659jzYw
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 10, 2023
‼️#URGENTE
En un video que circula en redes sociales, supuestos miembros de la banda delincuencial “Los Lobos” dicen ser los autores del atentado que terminó con la vida de #FernandoVillavicencio y lanzan amenazas contra el candidato @jantopicecuador. pic.twitter.com/fHIYwR5NDY— Ecuadorinmediato (@ecuainm_oficial) August 10, 2023
Villavicencio, 59, who was a member of the National Assembly, was in the middle of the eight-candidate pack but was the most outspoken about corruption and crime.
“Electorally speaking, this year is the most violent in our history. I think that what is going to change is the way we conceive of politics. I think that from now on it becomes a high-risk profession,” said Arianna Tanca, an Ecuadorean political scientist.
Ecuador’s election was sparked by President Guillermo Lasso’s action to disband the National Assembly in May as he faced impeachment over charges of embezzlement. Voting comes in two rounds: the first vote on Aug. 20 and a second vote in October if no candidate wins a majority.
On Thursday, Lasso imposed a 60-day state of emergency but said the election still would be held.
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“This was a political crime, terrorism, and there is no doubt that this assassination is an attempt to sabotage the electoral process. It is no coincidence this happened days before the first round of voting,” he said.
Nine people were wounded Wednesday night in the shooting, according to The Washington Post. A grenade had been fired toward Villavicencio but did not explode.
Last week, the candidate had said his campaign received two death threats.
“We will continue in the fight of the brave Ecuadorans who want to rescue the homeland from the hands of the mafias,” Villavicencio said then.
His widow, Verónica Sarauz, said her husband’s security team, which includes 20 police officers, did not take him out of the event through a back door to avoid crowds.
“Fernando’s security team … they failed. The head of logistics, the head of security, failed,” Sarauz said.
“The country is going to hell,” she said.
