Presidential Candidate Shot Dead in Ecuador

During a political rally on Wednesday night, Ecuadorean presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was shot dead, reported The Washington Post reported.

Gunmen fired at him during a political rally in Quito. Ecuador’s elections are less than two weeks away.

Fernando Villavicencio, aged 59, was shot several times as he left the rally at a high school in Quito. He was taken to a nearby clinic, where he was declared dead.

A police officer was also injured in the attack.

The assailants also lobbed a grenade towards Villavicencio’s supporters, but it did not explode.

Villavicencio was one of the leading candidates in the first round of voting set to be conducted on August 20 to succeed Ecuador President Guillermo Lasso.