Ecuadorian presidential candidate gunned down at political rally

Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was shot and killed on Wednesday at a political rally in Quito.

"I assure you that this crime will not go unpunished," President Guillermo Lasso vowed after confirming Villavicencio's death, according to the Associated Press. "Organized crime has gone too far, but they will feel the full weight of the law."

A suspect in the assassination has died of wounds sustained during the incident, the attorney general's office confirmed. 

Villavicencio was a leading anti-corruption advocate and one of eight candidates seeking to lead the country in the Aug. 20 election. He was the candidate for the Build Ecuador Movement.

The country has been plagued by rising violence in recent years as drug cartels have descended upon Ecuador.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.