Fernando Villavicencio, a candidate for Ecuador's presidential elections, was was shot dead in Quito on Wednesday when he was getting into a car after addressing a rally. A man from the crowd stepped forward and shot Villavicencio in the head.
The 59-year-old Villavicencio was one of the eight candidates in the first round of the presential election in the South American country slated to be held on August 20.
Ecuador President Guillermo Lasso vowed that the "crime will not go unpunished." The killing comes amidst a rise in violence in the country that the government has blamed on drug trade war between Mexican cartels, the Albanian mafia and other groups.
Here are 5 points on Fernando Villavicencio
-A former member of the state oil company Petroecuador and later a journalist, Fernando Villavicencio was one of the most critical voices against corruption in the country. Villavicencio had pledged to tackle corruption and reduce tax evasion if elected to power.
- The 59-year-old centrist leader on Tuesday submitted a report to the attorney general's office about an oil business, details of which are unavailable.
-Villavicencio had claimed to have received multiple death threats from Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel, an organised crime group that operates in Ecuador.
-He was an outspoken critic of former President Rafael Correa during his regime from 2007 to 2017. Villavicencio was sentenced to 18 months in jail for defamation over statements against Correa.
- Villavicencio obstructed the impeachment motion moved by the opposition leaders against President Lasso allowing him to call for an early election.
Featured Video Of The Day
Parents Gave Names Of Interns, Doctors To CBI In Kolkata Horror: Sources
Emergency Declared In Ecuador After Presidential Candidate Shot Dead Ecuadoran Presidential Candidate Shot Dead After Rally Life On Earth Originates From One Ancestor, Older Than Previously Believed "Anti-Constitution": Siddaramaiah On Governor's Prosecution Sanction Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah To Be Prosecuted In Land Scam Case 5 Points About Tahawwur Rana, Pak-Origin 26/11 Mumbai Attacks Accused Omar Abdullah On What Should Be J&K Assembly's 1st Move After Polls Israeli Forces Claim To Have Destroyed 50 Hamas Tunnels Since Last Month Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.