Fernando Villavicencio

Fernando Alcibiades Villavicencio Valencia was an Ecuadorian politician, trade unionist and journalist who ran for President of Ecuador in the 2023 general election. He was a member of the National Assembly from 2021 until the dissolution of parliament on May 17, 2023. Before his political career, he worked as an investigative journalist reporting on corruption and violence in Ecuador. A critic of former President Rafael Correa, Villavicencio lived in exile in Peru after legal problems arose following his public criticism of the Correa government. He spent several months in custody until all charges were dropped in February 2018. After unsuccessfully running for the National Assembly in 2017, Villavicencio was elected to represent the national constituency in 2021. In May 2023, he announced his presidential candidacy for the general election that same year. He was shot dead at a campaign rally in the capital in August.