Shoot-out near presidential candidate in Ecuador 1 day before vote, 10 days after murder of another nominee
- Otto Sonnenholzner was eating with his family in a restaurant when they heard shots fired outside
- Ecuadorean anti-corruption candidate Fernando Villavicencio was assassinated 10 days ago
A shoot-out erupted on Saturday near a restaurant where Ecuadorean presidential candidate Otto Sonnenholzner was eating with his family, police and the candidate said, though the violence was not directed at him.
Ecuadoreans head to the polls on Sunday to elect a new president and legislature after a campaign clouded by the assassination of anti-corruption candidate Fernando Villavicencio 10 days ago.
“We just suffered a shoot-out in front of the place where I was breakfasting with my family”, Sonnenholzner, a pro-market candidate and former vice-president said on X, previously called Twitter. “Thank God we’re all well but we demand an investigation into what occurred”.
A video on social media showed Sonnenholzner greeting a supporter in a sunny restaurant in Guayaquil and preparing to take a selfie, before shots sound outside.
The national police said in a press conference the shoot-out was the result of a chase after a robbery in an exercise clothing store and that five people have been arrested.
Sonnenholzner has hardened his discourse around crime since the murder of Villavicencio, repeatedly promising his supporters that should he be elected, criminals who use violence against citizens will be shot by police.