Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso has announced a three-day national mourning following the murder of one of the presidential candidates in the forthcoming election, Fernando Villavicencio.
Recall that PulseNets had earlier reported that Villavicencio was said to have been assassinated at a campaign rally on Wednesday night.
The deceased, who was regarded as a vocal legislator, was shot while leaving a campaign rally at a school in the country.
Reacting to the development, the president announced a 60 days state of emergency and three days of national mourning.
He said, “Organised crime has come a long way, but the full weight of the law will fall on them.”
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Meanwhile, the Electoral Council President, Diana Atamaint, said Thursday that the election, scheduled for August 20, will continue as scheduled.
The unsavoury development, though high profile, is among several criminal occurrences associated with the South American country.
