THE president of Ecuador has paid tribute to a presidential candidate who was shot and killed at a campaign event.
Fernando Villavicencio’s death at age 59 was confirmed by Ecuador’s current president, Guillermo Lasso, on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Outraged and shocked by the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio,” Lasso wrote hours after the tragedy on Wednesday.
“My solidarity and condolences to his wife and daughters. For his memory and for his fight, I assure you that this crime will not go unpunished.
He concluded: “Organized crime has gone too far, but the full weight of the law is going to fall on them.”
Villavicencio was getting into a car after a political rally in Quito, the country’s capital, when a gunman shot him in the head.
The assassination suspect died after being arrested, according to the attorney general’s office.
Read our Fernando Villavicencio blog for the latest updates…