A presidential candidate in the forthcoming election in Ecuador has been shot dead at a campaign rally.
Fernando Villavicencio, a member of the national assembly, was hit with torrents of bullets as he stepped into his vehicle after the rally on Wednesday.
A former journalist, he was one of eight candidates vying for the country’s presidency.
Before his death, he had constantly condemned the relationship between organised crime and government officials and had promised to embark on a crackdown on the gangs if elected as president.
Shortly after his demise, Los Lobos, the second-largest gang in the country, claimed responsibility for the attack.
According to BBC, Galo Valencia, the deceased’s uncle, said they were about to leave the venue of the campaign ground when Villavicencio was hit with three bullets to his head.
“We were just a few metres from the school when we were hit by a hail of about 40 bullets. He was hit by three bullets in the head,” he said.
Another eyewitness, Carlos Figueroa, said that shots started just “30 seconds” after the late politician “left through the main door”.
Responding to the incident, Guillermo Lasso, the president of Ecuador, declared a state of emergency.
The state of emergency is expected to be in place for 60 days and armed forces have been mobilised to protect citizens and manage the election process.
“Organised crime has come a long way, but the full weight of the law is going to fall on them,” the president said.
