Ecuadorian presidential hopeful Fernando Villavicencio shot dead as country warns assassination will ‘not go unpunished’

ECUADORIAN presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was shot to death at a political rally in Quito on Wednesday night just a few weeks shy of the country’s elections. Villavicencio was a member of Ecuador’s National Assembly before its dissolution in May and was one of the leading candidates in the first round of voting to succeed President Guillermo Lasso. Ecuadoran presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was fatally shot at a campaign in Quito on WednesdayGetty Villavicencio was a vocal critic of corruptionGetty He was shot multiple times as he left the rally at a high school in northern Quito, according to General Manuel Iñiguez of the Ecuadoran national police. He was rushed to a nearby clinic, where he was pronounced dead at the age of 59. Iñiguez said a police officer was also injured in the attack. The gunmen launched a grenade toward Villavicencio’s group, however, it didn’t explode. Villavicencio’s death comes as the country is dealing with a wave of violent crimes, including drug trafficking and murders. “I assure you this crime will not go unpunished,” said Lasso in a statement. “Organized crime has gone too far but they will feel the full weight of the law.” Video posted on social media appears to show Villavicencio walking out of the event with his guards and entering a white truck before gunfire erupts. Villavicencio was a vocal critic of corruption, especially during the tenure of former President Rafael Correa from 2007 to 2017. More to follow…For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at Sun Online.The-sun.com is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheSunUS and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheUSSun.