Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was killed during a rally in the capital Quito, yesterday. Current President Guillermo Lasso has confirmed the incident. According to reports, Mr Villavicencio was getting into a car when a gunman stepped forward and shot him in the head.

The incident comes amid violence in the South American nation, with drug trafficking and violent killings on the rise. The first round of the presidential election is scheduled to take place on 20 August.
 
A recent rise in violent crime in Ecuador has been a central issue in the presidential campaign. Last month, President Guillermo Lasso had declared states of emergency and night curfews in three provinces following a number of killings linked to organised crime.