⚠️Fernando Villavicencio HAS BEEN SHOT IN THE HEAD AND KILLED

 Fernando Villavicencio HAS BEEN SHOT IN THE HEAD AND KILLED

Fernando Villavicencio HAS BEEN SHOT IN THE HEAD AND KILLED

News : Fernando Villavicencio HAS BEEN SHOT IN THE HEAD

Ecuador has historically been a relatively safe and stable country in Latin America, but a recent rise in violent crime - fuelled by the growing presence of drug cartels - has been a central issue in this year's presidential campaign.

Witnesses said Mr Villavicencio, a serving congressman and former journalist, was shot three times.

A member of his campaign team told local media the 59-year-old was getting into a car when a man stepped forward and shot him in the head.

Video from inside the building shows panicked supporters diving for cover and campaign leaflets littered across a blood-stained floor.

The suspect was also shot in an exchange of bullets with security and later died from his injuries, the country's attorney general said on social media.

In the chaos, nine other people were injured, including a candidate for the country's assembly and two police officers, prosecutors said.

Six people have been detained by police in connection with the assassination after raids in Quito, they added.

The first round of the presidential election is scheduled to take place on 20 August.