The 59-year-old politician and journalist Villavicencio was a member of Ecuador’s National Assembly and one of the eight candidates in the country’s presidential election to be held on August 20.
Ecuador’s president confirms that Villavicencio has been killed and writes in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that he is “appalled and shocked” by the incident.
“My condolences go to his wife and daughters. For his memory and for his struggle, I assure you that this crime will not go unpunished,” he writes.