Ecuadorian president decrees 3 days of mourning for presidential candidate's assassination

QUITO, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso Thursday decreed three days of national mourning for presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, who was assassinated Wednesday at a political rally in the capital Quito.

Lasso also decreed a 60-day state of emergency throughout the country "due to serious internal upheaval," which included the mobilization of the armed forces and the police to maintain order and public safety.

The assassination, which the government attributed to organized crime, occurred amid the electoral campaign for elections, which will go ahead as planned on Aug. 20, Lasso said.

So far, six people have been arrested in the case, while one suspect died after being wounded during a gun battle with the police.

The 59-year-old presidential candidate was a journalist and former National Assembly member, who forged his political career with a series of denunciations of corruption. He was, according to polls, in fourth place for early general elections.