An Ecuadorian presidential candidate known for speaking up against cartels and corruption was shot and killed on Wednesday at a political rally in the capital, amid a startling wave of gang-driven violence in the South American country. 

President Guillermo Lasso confirmed the assassination of Fernando Villavicencio and suggested organised crime was behind his slaying, less than two weeks before the August 20 presidential election. “I assure you that this crime will not go unpunished,” Lasso said in a statement. “Organised crime has gone too far, but they will feel the full weight of the law.”