Right-wing candidate assassinated by ‘organized crime’ after pledging to combat crime.

Presidential Candidate Assassinated in Ecuador

Right-wing Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio ⁢was assassinated by “organized crime,” according‍ to a statement from the ‍country’s president.

President ⁢Guillermo Lasso expressed his deep shock and outrage over⁢ the tragic assassination of Fernando Villavicencio, as reported by The New York Times.

Lasso vowed that those responsible ‌for this heinous act⁢ would not escape justice.

Villavicencio, a ​former journalist, had been a vocal critic of‍ the connection between organized crime and government officials ‌in ​Ecuador, shedding light on corruption within‌ the South American nation.

The report highlighted that despite an “oil boom” that lifted Ecuador out of poverty in ‍the‍ past, the country ⁤has recently faced a surge⁤ in foreign drug⁣ trafficking organizations, leading to a‌ sharp⁢ increase in homicide⁣ rates.

The suspect ⁢believed to have‌ killed Villavicencio died while in‍ police custody, ⁢according to the attorney general’s office.

“A suspect, who was injured during the shootout ‌with security ⁤personnel, was ⁢apprehended and later‍ pronounced dead at the (attorney general’s) unit in Quito,” the statement said. “The police ⁤are ⁢currently collecting evidence from the scene.”

Villavicencio had been an opponent of ​former leftist President ‍Rafael Correa and had previously served an 18-month prison sentence in 2014 for allegedly defaming Correa, as reported by Bloomberg’s Latin America ⁤news division. He remained a‌ fugitive for three years before being granted political⁢ asylum in Peru, where he resided until 2017.

Upon his⁢ return to Ecuador, Villavicencio approached the ⁢attorney⁣ general’s office and exposed ⁤the government’s‍ misuse of public ⁣resources in the “commercialization of crude oil between Ecuador and private company Petrochina,” resulting in significant financial losses for the country.

His campaign focused‌ on five pillars: citizen safety, food security, economic ‌stability, environmental protection, and healthcare improvement, aiming to build a better future for Ecuador.

“In⁢ the 2021 elections, he was elected as a national congress member for the Honesty⁣ Alliance. In September ‍2022, ⁤he survived‍ an attack at ⁣his residence,” the‌ report added. ‍“As an investigative journalist, he played a⁣ crucial role in ​exposing⁤ corruption in various⁣ sectors, including oil, mining, electricity, ​telecommunications, and criminal networks.”