Anti-corruption presidential candidate is assassinated in Ecuador as country reels from violence

By GONZALO SOLANO and REGINA GARCIA CANO
Associated Press

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — An Ecuadorian presidential candidate who recently pledged to root out corruption and lock up the country’s thieves was fatally shot at a political rally in the capital. The assassination happened as Ecuador reels from drug-related crime and violence. Fifty-nine-year-old Fernando Villavicencio was known for speaking up against cartels. He was not a front-runner, but his death deepened the sense of crisis around organized crime that has already claimed thousands of lives. Video of the rally in Quito posted on social media appeared to show Villavicencio walking out of the rally surrounded by guards. The footage then showed the candidate getting into a white pickup truck before gunshots were heard.