In Ecuador, presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was shot three times in the head after a campaign meeting. This is reported by the newspaper El Universo, noting that there were several attackers.
A few weeks before the assassination attempt, the politician received threats against him, the EFE agency adds. According to the publication, after the assassination of Villavicencio, several campaign offices were subjected to armed attacks.
Ecuavisa TV channel reports that an explosive device was found 20 meters from the place where Villavicencio was murdered.
One suspect in the murder of an Ecuadorian presidential candidate was killed in a shootout during his arrest, the country’s prosecutor general’s office said.
The footage of the attack itself, as well as video from the scene of the murder, were published on the Internet.
Head of State Guillermo Lasso declared a state of emergency for 60 days after the assassination of Villavicencio.
Recall that early presidential and parliamentary elections are planned in Ecuador on August 20. After the state of emergency, four presidential candidates announced the suspension of election campaigns. By the way, the murdered Villavicencio in the polls ranked fourth or fifth in terms of popularity.
Source: Rosbalt
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