Quito: In the midst of a shocking wave of gang-driven violence in the South American nation, an Ecuadorian presidential candidate known for speaking out against cartels and corruption was shot and killed on Wednesday at a political rally in the capital.

Less than two weeks before the August 20 presidential election, President Guillermo Lasso acknowledged Fernando Villavicencio's murder and suggested organised crime was responsible.

In a statement, Lasso said, "I assure you that this crime will not go unpunished. They will experience the full force of the law, but organised crime has gone too far.

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According to Ecuador's attorney general's office, six suspects were detained after police raids in Quito, and one suspect died in custody from injuries sustained in a firefight that occurred after the killing.

Villavicencio promised a cheering crowd during his last speech before being assassinated that he would root out corruption and imprison the nation's "thieves."

Villavicencio claimed he had received numerous death threats before the shooting, including from members of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of numerous international organised crime organisations that now operate in Ecuador. He claimed that such groups were threatened by his campaign.

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"I am here displaying my face. In a statement, Villavicencio used the alias "Fito" for detained crime boss José Adolfo Macas to say, "I'm not scared of them. There were eight candidates, and Villavicencio wasn't the favourite. The 59-year-old politician ran for office on behalf of the Build Ecuador Movement.

Ida Paez, a supporter, stated that Villavicencio's campaign gave her hope that the nation could defeat the gangs. She remarked, "We were happy, at the rally. Even Fernando danced. If someone meddles with the people, he is meddling with my family, were his last words.

Ecuadorians have experienced violence that hasn't been seen in years as drug traffickers have started using the nation's coastal ports. As competing gangs fight for power and recruit kids, gunfire can be heard in many major cities. The port city of Manta's mayor was recently shot and killed. In an effort to stop the violence, Lasso issued a state of emergency on July 26 that included two provinces and the nation's prison system.

In a press conference after the murder on Wednesday, former vice president and candidate Otto Sonnenholzner said, "We are dying, drowning in a sea of tears and we do not deserve to live like this. We require action from you.

Social media videos of the rally seem to show Villavicencio leaving the gathering while being escorted by security. The candidate is then seen getting into a white pickup truck as gunshots, screams, and commotion can be heard in the background. Patricio Zuquilanda, Villavicencio's campaign manager, confirmed this series of events to The Associated Press.

Before the shooting, the candidate allegedly received at least three death threats, which, according to Zuquilanda, he reported to the police, leading to one detention. Invoking escalating violence and drug trafficking, he urged international authorities to act to stop the violence.

"The Ecuadorian people are crying, and Ecuador is mortally wounded," he declared. No member of society can die as a result of politics.

Villavicencio was one of the nation's most outspoken opponents of corruption, particularly during President Rafael Correa's administration from 2007 to 2017.
He was also an independent journalist who looked into corruption in previous administrations before later running for office as an anti-corruption activist.

Villavicencio brought numerous legal complaints against high-ranking Correa administration officials, including the former president himself. After being found guilty of defamation for his criticism of Correa and given an 18-month prison sentence, he fled to indigenous territory in Ecuador and later sought asylum in the neighbouring country of Peru.

The anti-corruption complaints, according to former military intelligence colonel Edison Romo, made Villavicencio "a threat to international criminal organisations."

Lasso, a conservative former banker who was elected in 2021 on a platform supportive of business, had conflict with the left-leaning majority coalition in the National Assembly from the beginning.

As a precaution against being impeached over claims that he failed to act to terminate a problematic contract between the state-owned oil transport company and a private tanker company, Lasso dissolved the National Assembly by decree in May. This action was taken to avoid being subject to those accusations.

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The president of Ecuador is given the authority to dissolve the assembly in times of political unrest, but this action is followed by new elections for the assembly and the presidency. In recent years, the nation has experienced numerous political upheavals.

Authorities reported that at least nine other people were hurt in the shooting on Wednesday, including officers and a candidate for congress. They called it a "terrorist act."

Other candidates expressed outrage over the killing and called for action. The front-runner for the presidency, Luisa González of the Citizen Revolution party, said: "When they touch one of us, they touch all of us."