Presidential in Ecuador: A new candidate after the assassination of Villavicencio

elections After the assassination of Fernando Villavicencio, the presidential candidate assassinated on Wednesday, Construye, his political party, nominated journalist Christian Zurita, 53, on Sunday , to represent him in the August 20 ballot

Journalist and Construye party candidate for the presidential election Christian Zurita (left), alongside his running mate and party vice president Andrea Gonzalez (right), in Quito, August 13, 2023. — MARTIN BERNETTI

Seven days before the Ecuadorian presidential election, a new candidate has just appeared. After the assassination of Fernando Villavicencio, the presidential candidate the presidential assassinated Wednesday, Construye, his political party, appointed on Sunday the journalist Christian Zurita, 53, to represent him in the ballot scheduled for August 20.

On Saturday, this party had initially chosen the ecologist Andrea González, who was running for president. the vice-presidency alongside of Fernando Villavicencio, but he reconsidered his decision, for fear that the electoral rules would invalidate his candidacy. There is uncertainty over whether she could go from candidate to candidate. the vice-presidency at; candidate for the supreme position. When in doubt, and in the absence of a response from the National Electoral Council (CNE) within the time limit, he chose to present Christian Zurita. The party evoked the possibility that Andrea González appear on the ballot as a candidate for the the vice-presidency.

“ Full Tracking” of Villavicencio's political project

Christian Zurita, whose candidacy has not yet been validated by the CNE, indicated that he would fully follow his friend’s political project. Fernando Villavicencio, a 59-year-old journalist on a crusade against corruption in his country, was in second place in the polls for voting intentions in the United States. the presidential election, when he was killed shot as he left an election meeting in the capital, Quito.

Most of Ecuador has since been subjected to the state of emergency, and President Guillermo Lasso accused organized crime to be responsible for the murder. Six Colombians have been arrested as part of the investigation, and one was arrested. killed just after the attack by the candidate's bodyguards.