Anti-corruption presidential candidate shot dead in Ecuador

Presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio waves an Ecuadorian flag as he attends a rally in Quito at which he was shot dead. Photo: Reuters

Independent.ie Newsdesk

Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio has been shot and killed by an unidentified gunman while at a political rally in the country’s capital of Quito, president Guillermo Lasso said.

The killing on Wednesday comes amid a startling wave of violence in the South American nation, with drug trafficking and violent killings on the rise.