A well-known journalist and right-wing contender for president of Ecuador, Fernando Villavicencio, has died at the age of 59. He was shot and killed in the incident, which took place in Quito. The attack occurred while he was at a campaign event in the north of Quito.

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Who was Fernando Villavicencio?

Fernando Alcibiades Villavicencio Valencia was a prominent figure in Ecuador, known for his roles as a politician, activist, and journalist. Tragically, he lost his life while running for president of Ecuador in the general election of 2023. He was assassinated at that time.

He was born in Alaus, Ecuador, and has ties to the area. He attended the Cooperative University of Colombia to further his studies in journalism and communication. He got married to Verónica Sarauz, with whom he had a relationship that developed when they were both employed for the National Assembly.

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Villavicencio’s career as a journalist began when he joined El Universo in Guayaquil. He adopted a critical position toward many governments, particularly Gustavo Noboa’s, whom he accused of indulging in corrupt practices, throughout his investigative employment with the journal. However, because of the newspaper’s conservative financial sources, a lot of his work was scrutinized and questioned.

Prior to entering politics, he served in the National Assembly from 2017 to May 17, 2023, when it was dissolved. Notably, before entering politics, Villavicencio was praised for his work in exposing Petroecuador and criticizing the regime of Rafael Correa.

Villavicencio revealed in September 2022 that he had narrowly averted an assassination attempt. He insisted that shots had been fired at his house.

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As things developed, May 2023 was a turning point in his political career. Villavicencio took advantage of the opportunity presented by President Guillermo Lasso’s decision to dissolve the National Assembly by announcing his candidacy for the next 2023 presidential election.