Candidate Fernando Villavicencio was reported killed at campaign rally in the capital Quito, according to local media.

Lasso confirmed the killing of Villavicencio on Wednesday and vowed the crime would not go unpunished, according to the Reuters news agency.

“For his memory and his fight, I assure you that this crime will not remain unpunished,” Lasso said on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

“Organized crime have gone very far, but all the weight of the law will fall on them,” he said.

Lasso said he would host top security officials at an urgent meeting.

Local media had earlier reported Villavicencio, a former legislator who had been polling at 7.5 percent voting intention, had been shot at a campaign event in Quito.

Several others were injured in the armed attack at the Colegio Anderson in the capital, according to local media reports.

A journalist and political activist, Villavicencio was one of eight presidential candidates registered to stand in the elections scheduled for August 20.

More to follow soon …