Ecuador Announces State of Emergency Following Murder of Anti-corruption Presidential Candidate

Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso declared a two-month state of emergency on Thursday following the assassination of an anti-corruption presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio at a campaign event in Quito.

In a YouTube-broadcasted statement, President Lasso said, "The Armed Forces as of this moment are mobilized throughout the national territory to guarantee the security of citizens, the tranquility of the country and the free and democratic elections of August 20." Additionally, he announced three days of national mourning in memory of Villavicencio, a strong opponent of corruption and criminal networks.

After the tragic incident, infuriated Ecuadorians gathered outside the medical facility where Villavicencio succumbed. Eyewitness accounts and social media footage depict a scene where several gunshots were heard just as Villavicencio entered a car, followed by screams.

As per information shared by the attorney general's office, one suspect linked to this assassination later passed away from wounds obtained during a gunfire exchange. The turmoil injured nine others, including another election candidate and two law enforcement officers.

President Guillermo Lasso's administration attributes the escalating street and prison violence to disputes among criminals vying for control over drug trafficking channels exploited by entities such as Mexican drug cartels and the Albanian underworld. Lasso announced an imminent meeting with senior security representatives to address the issue.

The shooting, which transpired before the August 20 presidential polls, has heightened anxieties over rising gang-induced violence in Ecuador.
Despite these unsettling events, Diana Atamaint, the leader of the National Electoral Council, in a joint statement with President Lasso, asserted that the planned election timeline would stay intact. She noted, "The date of the elections scheduled for August 20 remain unalterable, in compliance with the constitutional and legal mandate."

During his last public appearance, Villavicencio pledged to combat corruption and penalize malefactors. Before this, he was on the radar of global criminal factions, such as the Sinaloa Cartel from Mexico, known for its influence in Ecuador.