The television station "Ecuavisa" and a local journalists' association reported the "killing of the presidential candidate in Ecuador, Fernando Viya Fentithio, during an electoral event in northern Quito on Wednesday." The Attorney General's office announced that a suspect had been arrested, having been injured during a shootout with security personnel, and was transported with severe injuries to a unit associated with the prosecutor's office in Quito. They added that the ambulance confirmed his death and that the police are continuing the procedures.
Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso vowed to punish the perpetrators. Lasso wrote on the platform X: "In honor of his memory and struggle, I assure you that this crime will not go unpunished... Organized crime has far exceeded limits, but they will fall under the law." He stated that he would call senior security officials for an emergency meeting. Video footage on social media, reportedly taken during the event, showed people hiding and screaming amid the sound of gunfire.
