Authorities have revealed that six suspects have been arrested in the assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.

The suspects are Colombian nationals and gang members, as a former vice president calls for action to address the country's soaring levels of violence.

PHOTO | COURTESY Fernando Villavicencio.

Villavicencio, an anti-corruption advocate and congressman vocal about the carnage caused by drug trafficking in the country, was shot dead on Wednesday during a campaign rally in Quito.

The 59-year-old was assassinated just ten days before the first round of the presidential election.

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Villavicencio's campaign pledged a crackdown on crime and corruption amid a deadly surge of violence in Ecuador in recent years.

PHOTO | COURTESY crime scene

According to Ecuador's Attorney General's Office, the alleged shooter died in police custody after exchanging fire with security forces.

Six other people were arrested in connection with the murder. According to Ecuador's Interior Minister Juan Zapata, preliminary information indicates that the individuals are part of organized criminal organizations.

He later verified to CNN that the accused were Colombians. The suspected gunman's nationality has not yet been determined.

PHOTO | COURTESY presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.

Authorities discovered a rifle, a machine gun, four handguns, three grenades, two rifle magazines, four boxes of ammunition, two motorcycles, and a stolen car suspected to have been used by the guys during midnight raids, according to Zapata.

Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso requested assistance from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and tweeted that a delegation would arrive soon.

VIDEO: The moment Ecuador presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was assassinated https://t.co/eS9LaNYZcD


Lasso also declared a 60-day state of emergency, an immediate mobilization of the country's military forces, and three days of national mourning.

The assassination drew widespread condemnation within Ecuador and worldwide, including from the UN Human Rights chief, the US, and the European Union.