Ecuador: Presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio has been killed by three shots to the head. The attack took place when Fernando was sitting in a car after a rally. Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso has confirmed the murder of Fernando and said that the accused will not be spared. He has called a meeting of the security officers.
Villavicencio, a 59-year-old journalist, was one of eight candidates for the August 20 presidential election. In the viral video on social media, Fernando is seen surrounded by security personnel.
However, as soon as they get into the car, a shootout begins. 9 people including 2 police officers were injured in this attack. Fernando’s campaign manager has said that he was receiving death threats for a long time. According to the Washington Post, the attacker also threw a grenade toward the people, although the grenade did not explode.
According to a Reuters report, the police have caught one of the attackers. However, he died in the firing of security officials. Fernando’s campaign manager Juquilanda has appealed to international organizations to take necessary steps to stop the ever-increasing violence and drug trafficking in Ecuador. Jukialanda said – the people of Ecuador are crying.
No one should die because of politics. Fernando has been a strong critic of Rafael Correa, the former President of Ecuador. For this, he had to stay in jail for 18 months. Later he moved from Ecuador to the neighboring country Peru.