IRIA News

Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was shot dead during an election campaign event on August 9, 2023, in the country’s capital Quito. The suspected shooter was also declared dead after sustaining injuries during capture.

The assassination of Ecuador’s outspoken presidential candidate comes only days ahead of the country’s first round of elections. The South American nation is set to vote on August 20 in an election that is dominated by concerns over drug-related violence. Villavicencio’s death is a huge blow to Ecuador’s internal security situation, which is already facing an upheaval. 

The 59-year-old former journalist, Villavicencio, was gunned down outside a high school in Quito, where he was addressing his young supporters regarding the upcoming elections. Local media outlets reported that he died after a “hitman-style” assassination attempt, sustaining three shots to the head.

Photos and video footages from the scene show Villavicencio walking out of the event surrounded by guards. The video footage shows chaotic scenes from the rally as people dive for cover after gun fires are heard in the background.

Ecuador declares a state of emergency after presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was assassinated at a campaign event. He was known for speaking up against corruption and cartelspic.twitter.com/sWs3isMCpo

— IRIA (@IRIA_Research) August 10, 2023

Emergency declared in Ecuador

Following the latest assassination, Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso declared a state of emergency for 60 days throughout the country. “The Armed Forces as of this moment are mobilized throughout the national territory to guarantee the security of citizens, the tranquility of the country, and the free and democratic elections of August 20,” Lasso said in an address in the presence of security cabinet and other senior government officials.

Lasso confirmed Villavicencio’s death and promised that the crime would not go unpunished. “Outraged and shocked by the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. My solidarity and condolences to his wife and daughters,” Lasso tweeted shortly after the shooting took place. “For his memory and his fight, I assure you that this crime will not remain unpunished,” he added. “Organized crime has gone very far, but all the weight of the law will fall on them.”

Ecuador’s attorney general office released a statement regarding the incident saying that the suspected killer was captured after the shooting, however, he also died due to the injuries sustained during the capture.

“A suspect, who was injured during the shootout with security personnel, was apprehended and moved, badly injured, to the unit in Quito. An ambulance from the fire department confirmed his death, the police are proceeding with collection of the cadaver,” the attorney general’s office said in a statement.

Ecuadorian Prosecutor’s Office said that nine other people were injured during the attack, including two police officers. The office also said that six people had been arrested during raids in Quito’s Conocoto and San Bartolo neighborhoods. It also said that Villavicencio’s body had been transferred to a morgue for an autopsy.

Villavicencio’s stance on corruption and organized crimes in Ecuador

As a legislator in Ecuador’s national assembly, Villavicencio was outspoken against corruption and organized crimes in his country. Villavicencio formed his election campaign around the same narrative as he advocated for uprooting drug-related organizations from Ecuador. Over the course of his campaign, Villavicencio would refer to his country as a “narco-state.” He proposed to lead a fight against what he called the “political mafia.”

Moments before his death, Villavicencio promised that he would uproot corruption and lock up the country’s “thieves.” He said his campaign represented a threat to such groups. “Here I am showing my face. I’m not scared of them,” Villavicencio said in a statement before he was shot down.

Initial inquiry suggests that Ecuador’s drug mafia is involved in the assassination. Several times over the course of his public appearances and election campaign events, Villavicencio mentioned that he had received multiple death threats, including from affiliates of Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, one of a slew of international organized crime groups that now operate in Ecuador.

Political turmoil

Ecuador’s current President, Guillermo Lasso, took office in 2021 with a promise to provide a business-friendly environment in the country. In the wake of political friction with his left-leaning coalition, Lasso dissolved the National Assembly in May 2023 calling for snap elections and narrowly avoiding impeachment.

First published on August 10, 2023. Updated on August 11, 2023.