In a statement posted on Wednesday on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, Lasso said that the murder of Fernando Villavicencio bas been traced to “organized crime” and pledged the perpetrators will be brought to justice.

Lasso offered his condolences to the family of Fernando Villavicencio, adding that he would convene an emergency meeting with top Ecuadorian security officials.

Fernando Villavicencio, 59 years old, is one of eight candidates to run for the first round of Ecuador’s presidential election on August 20.

The latest poll shows that Villavicencio was the second most popular candidate in the presidential race, about 13% behind lawyer Luisa Gonzalez, who is close to former left-wing president Rafael Correa.