Government : Elections in Ecuador: journalist replaces murdered candidate

The party of assassinated Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio has changed its decision on his successor. The party Construye (Baue) now wants to send the journalist Christian Zurita into the race for next Sunday’s election, as was announced at a press conference on Sunday in the capital Quito.

Construye initially announced on Saturday that the party leadership had chosen Villavicencio’s vice-candidate Andrea González Náder. However, it remained unclear whether the electoral authority CNE would approve this, since the environmental activist was already listed as a candidate for the office of vice president – and she is now to remain so.

“In the absence of clear answers from the CNE and in view of the angry reaction from some political circles, we will not take any chances,” said the center-left party.

Six suspects in custody

Villavicencio was shot dead after a campaign rally in Quito on Wednesday. At least nine people were injured, and one suspect died after an exchange of gunfire with security forces.

Six suspects, all men from neighboring Colombia, were taken into custody. President Guillermo Lasso declared a state of emergency for 60 days. Zurita and Gónzalez Náder wore bulletproof vests at Sunday’s press conference.

Early presidential and parliamentary elections will be held in the South American country on August 20. These became necessary because Lasso had dissolved Parliament in the midst of impeachment proceedings for alleged embezzlement.

Like Villavicencio, 53-year-old Zurita is an investigative journalist. According to media reports, they worked together, for example on reports on corruption in the government of ex-President Rafael Correa (2007-2017), and were close friends.