Ecuadorian presidential candidate shot three times in the head – Reports

A top politician running to become the president of Ecuador has been assassinated.

Fernando Villaviciencio is reported to have been killed on the spot during a presidential rally in Quito, the capital of Ecuador.

He was reportedly killed at approximately 18:10 on Wednesday, August 9, 2023, after he was shot three times in the head.

“Fernando Villaviciencio was an Ecuadorian journalist who was elected to public office in 2021 as National Assemblyman. In September of 2022, his home was shot at, but he was not harmed,” a tweet by journalist, Ed Krassenstein, said.

According to a reuters.com report, the incident took place amid an upsurge in violence in the Andean nation, and blamed on drug traffickers.

“Local media reported some 30 shots had been fired at an event in the north of the capital, Quito. Video footage posted on social media showed Villavicencio getting into a car after the event, before the sound of apparent gunfire and screaming,” the report added.

BREAKING: As seen in the video below, Fernando Villavicencio, the right-winged candidate running for President of Ecuador, has just been assassinated during a presidential rally in Quito. He was reportedly shot 3 times in the head.

Villavicencio has reportedly died on the… pic.twitter.com/J4HfSjDbBX

— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) August 10, 2023