Fernando Villavicencio revealed that he was threatened with death by a group linked to the Sinaloa Cartel

Ecuador’s presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio He was assassinated on Wednesday in a shooting attack at the exit of a political rally in a school in the north of Quito, just over a week before the general elections and in the midst of a wave of violence that affects various parts of the South American country.

The Prosecutor’s Office specified on the social network X that the suspect in the attackwho was wounded during the exchange of bullets with the security personnel, was apprehended and taken badly wounded to the Flagrancy Unit in Quito, where died from injuries.

A suspect in the murder of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio is detained after the attack in Quito, on August 9, 2023. (AFP). (STR/)

WATCH: LIVE | Ecuador: Presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio shot dead in Quito | VIDEO

In past days, the presidential candidate had publicly denounced the leader of a local criminal group linked to the Mexican Sinaloa cartel had threatened himalthough so far no Ecuadorian authority has singled out any specific criminal organization. Villavicencio had previously denounced links between politicians and drug traffickers.

#URGENT Fernando Villavicencio publicly warned of the threats from Alias ​​”Fito”, the leader of the choneros, and reported him to the Prosecutor’s Office. Here the last statements of him. @FiscaliaEcuador pic.twitter.com/v8wIiYsZCK

—Janet Hinostroza (@janethinostroza) August 10, 2023

In the last video in which he is seen alive Villavicencioit is observed that leaves the premises where the political rally was held surrounded by policemen, who help you get into a vehicle. Before closing the door, a series of bullet detonations and desperate screams from supporters are heard.

???????? | URGENT: Moment when Fernando Villavicencio is shot in Quito on Wednesday afternoon as he was leaving a political rally. pic.twitter.com/Cr6tU3R3uV

– Alert News 24 (@AlertaNews24) August 10, 2023

Following the attack, the Ecuadorian authorities also did not disclose the possible motive behind the attack. Patricio Zuquilanda, the candidate’s campaign adviser, told The Associated Press that Villavicencio had received two death threatsalthough he did not give more details.

Edison Romo, a retired colonel specializing in military intelligence who has followed the development of the campaign in the country, in statements to the AP alluded that Villavicencio “was a threat to international criminal organizations”. He said that corruption and the penetration of drug trafficking “in public and private institutions is strong” and added that no investigative hypothesis should be ruled out.

LOOK: Who was Fernando Villavicencio, the presidential candidate stubborn in fighting corruption in Ecuador

After the attack, there were two controlled explosions by the police in the vicinity of the site where the murder took place.

The Prosecutor’s Office later reported that nine injuries were reported, “among them a candidate for assembly and two police officers”, whose names were not provided. The first versions indicate that three people fired bursts of shrapnel that impacted the applicant and other people.

Police General Alain Luna, in statements to journalists, confirmed that among the injured are police officers and described the act as a terrorist act, from which the agents are collecting information. “We are applying a siege to the city, location and basic intelligence operations, to find the causes.”

Almost 10 years ago, Villavicencio was sentenced to 18 months in prison and fined $140,000 for insulting then-President Rafael Correa.initially took refuge in the United States but later returned to Ecuadorwhere he was welcomed into an indigenous community in the jungle together with Assemblyman Cléver Jiménez, who was also sentenced.

Villavicencio gained special prominence during the regime of Belt, when he denounced millionaire contributions from private companies to the government party, Revolución Ciudadana, in exchange for the delivery of large state infrastructure works. The legal case for which former President Correa was sentenced to eight years in prison for bribery was nourished by this revelation.

Patrick Zuquilandaformer foreign minister and current general adviser to the campaign of Fernando Villavicencioin dialogue with The Associated Press with a broken voice affirmed that “The Ecuadorian people are crying and Ecuador is mortally wounded; the nation is mortally wounded.”

The electoral law establishes that a “disqualified” candidate may be replaced by another member of the same party or alliance.

He reported that Villavicencio “previously had two death threats and the third has died” and that “he had police protection and had private protection.” About the attack, he explained that the candidate left “protected by his bodyguards, however, inside the truck they shoot at him and he dies immediately.”

The van where presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was assassinated in Quito, on August 9, 2023. (Photo by Galo PAGUAY / AFP). (GALO PAGUAY /)

The campaign adviser assured that “the threats were a short time ago; He denounced that he had these death threats and they initially captured a person ”.

Villavicencio he was one of eight registered candidates for the August 20 presidential election. The 59-year-old politician was not among the favorites, with just 10% of the preferences, although he was a well-known figure for having denounced various cases of alleged government corruption in the past.

Zuquilanda also made a call to the international community on Ecuador and each of the countries that suffer this threat of crime and drug trafficking: “Politics cannot lead to the death of any member of its society, and society will react immediately upon this.”

President William Lasso He immediately summoned the highest authorities of the main functions of the State to the presidential palace to hold an urgent security meeting.

Two weeks ago, the mayor of the third largest city in the country, Agustín Intriago, was also shot dead on a public tour of a crowded neighborhood. He was one of the eight mayors who had police protection.

Source: Elcomercio