Shots Fired at Ecuadorian Parliamentary Candidate Days After Villavicencio Killing
© AP Photo / Dolores Ochoa
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MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) - A left-wing Ecuadorian opposition politician running for a parliamentary seat in the country's National Assembly has come under an armed attack, Ecuadorian media reports.
Estefany Puente Castro was attacked in the city of Quevedo, in the Ecuadorian province of Los Rios, on August 10, while driving downtown in a car with her father and a company employee.
Citing police, local media reported that an unknown armed individual had approached the car and demanded Puente stop. The opposition politician then tried to accelerate, prompting the attacker to shoot at the car from the driver’s side.
Puente was not injured and no evidence of a firearm having been fired was found inside her vehicle; however, photos from the scene showed damages to the vehicle, including shattered glass.
🔴QUEVEDO🔴 La candidata a la Asamblea por la lista 2, Stefany Puente #Castro, fue víctima de la delincuencia. Mientras iba en su carro recibió varios #disparos, afortunadamente salió ilesa. Vehículo presenta varios impactos de #balas.
— Quito Noticias (@QuitoNoticias1) August 10, 2023
Fuente: @aldiacomec pic.twitter.com/hAzc6BijXI
The FBI confirmed to Sputnik on Friday it was sending agents to Ecuador to assist authorities in investigating the recent murder of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio in Quito.
Villavicencio was shot dead and nine other people were injured during the attack at an election rally on Wednesday. Local media reported that Villavicencio had received several death threats before the incident.
A prime suspect in the assassination died from gunshot wounds received during his arrest, the Ecuadorian General Prosecutor's Office said, adding that six people were detained in connection with the incident.
Diana Atamaint, the president of the National Electoral Council of Ecuador, said on Thursday that the date of Ecuador's early presidential election scheduled for August 20 would remain unchanged despite the assassination of Villavicencio.
The officials underscored the country's armed forces would guarantee the security of Ecuadorians throughout the planned electoral process, adding that the protection for the remaining presidential candidates would be doubled.
