Ecuador, presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was tragically gunned down at a campaign rally, marking a dark day in the nation’s political landscape. The harrowing incident unfolded as Villavicencio, a member of the national assembly and former journalist, was leaving the campaign rally on Wednesday, only to be met with a hail of bullets that ended his life.

Villavicencio, one of the eight candidates contending for the country’s presidency, had been an unflinching critic of the concerning nexus between organized crime and government authorities. He had pledged a resolute crackdown on criminal gangs if elected as the nation’s leader.

The senseless act of violence took a grim turn when the notorious Los Lobos gang, the second-largest criminal organization in the country, claimed responsibility for the shocking assassination. The incident has thrown into sharp relief the perilous landscape in which candidates navigate during election campaigns.

Galo Valencia, the grief-stricken uncle of the deceased, provided a chilling account of the tragic moments. “We were just a few metres from the school when we were hit by a hail of about 40 bullets. He was hit by three bullets in the head,” he recounted, underscoring the swift and brutal nature of the attack.

Another eyewitness, Carlos Figueroa, revealed the horrifying immediacy of the assault, stating that gunfire erupted a mere “30 seconds” after Villavicencio exited the campaign venue through the main exit.

The shocking incident prompted President Guillermo Lasso to swiftly declare a state of emergency, a measure aimed at restoring order and maintaining the integrity of the election process. Under this state of emergency, armed forces have been mobilized to safeguard citizens and oversee the electoral proceedings.

Speaking in response to the grim event, President Lasso conveyed an unwavering commitment to confronting the menace of organized crime. “Organized crime has come a long way, but the full weight of the law is going to fall on them,” he affirmed, signaling a determination to bring those responsible for the heinous act to justice.

As Ecuador mourns the loss of Fernando Villavicencio and grapples with the ramifications of this shocking incident, the nation stands at a critical juncture, with both the pursuit of justice and the preservation of democratic processes at the forefront of its collective consciousness.