EPAVillavicencio’s place remained empty during the election debate
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 13:28
The presidential candidates in Ecuador have promised in a fraught election debate that security in the country will be increased. The debate was days after the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. He was shot in the head last Wednesday after an election rally in the capital Quito. He died in hospital from his injuries.
The former parliamentarian and investigative journalist always said he was not afraid of gangs, despite repeated threats. As a journalist he exposed a number of corruption scandals and also as a presidential candidate he spoke out against the growing corruption.
Villavicencio’s spot remained empty last night during the debate, which began with a memorial. “The candidates expressed their horror at the murder and tumbled over each other with proposals to tackle organized crime,” says journalist Jan Albert Hootsen in the NOS Radio 1 Journal. “That took the most time.”
Fist against crime
Until last week, Villavicencio was polling with about 7.5 percent of the vote, well behind Luisa Gonzalez, the candidate of the social-democratic Civic Revolution Party (Revolución Ciudadana). Gonzalez wants a stand against crime. “We are taking back control of the country,” she said.
Right-wing candidate Jan Topic pledges to invest $1.2 billion from the proceeds of police fines in a zero-tolerance security policy. If elected, he wants to take back control of prisons and border security and join forces to prevent drugs and illegal weapons from taking over the streets.
Villavicencio’s party, Movimiento Construye (Construction Party), nominated 53-year-old journalist Christian Zurita as its new presidential candidate yesterday. Zurita’s candidacy still has to be approved by the electoral commission. That is why he could not yet participate in the debate.
Bulletproof vest
At his presentation, Zurita wore a bulletproof vest. He stated that he would uphold Villavicencio’s name and ideas and emphasized that he is not prepared to negotiate with “any mafia”.
Zurita and Villavicencio have worked together in the past on journalistic reports on corruption. They also wrote a book about corruption under former President Correa, who was in power from 2007 to 2017.
Hootsen doesn’t think Zurita’s party will get more votes after the murder. “There is no poll in which he is included, but his chances would never have been great, not even for Villavicencio. He is now at about 7 percent of the vote, which is nowhere near enough to overtake Gonzalez (30 percent). Most voters have already made their choice.”
Still, he does not rule out the possibility that floating voters (about 20 to 30 percent) will vote for Zurita. “The party will aim for a sympathy vote, but the established parties will be in the lead.”
The ballots for Sunday’s elections have already been printed. The votes cast for Villavicencio automatically go to his replacement.
FBI
The murder of 59-year-old Villavicencio has been claimed by the Los Lobos gang. Six Colombians have been arrested and are in custody. A seventh suspect was killed in a shootout shortly after Villavicencio was shot.
The Secretary of the Interior announced yesterday that a team from the US intelligence service FBI has traveled to Ecuador to assist with the investigation. This is done at the request of outgoing President Guillermo Lasso.
Corruption and crime are a major problem in Ecuador. In recent years, the country has become a hub of cocaine trafficking. A large part of the export to Europe and the US goes through Ecuador. This is accompanied by a fierce battle between local drug gangs. In recent years, drug violence has claimed the lives of many people. Police officers are also among the victims.
2023-08-14 11:28:27
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