Ecuador has declared a state of emergency and three days of national mourning following the assassination of anti-corruption Presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. The killing, which President Guillermo Lasso suggested could be linked to organized crime, highlights the ongoing gang-driven violence in the country. Villavicencio had received multiple death threats and had promised to root out corruption in his campaign. Ecuador has been grappling with a surge in violence and drug trafficking in recent years, with rival gangs battling for control and even recruiting children. The presidential election, scheduled for August 20, will still go ahead despite the crisis.

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