Bloomberg Línea — Following the assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio on Wednesday, his Movimiento Construye Ecuador (’Build Ecuador Movement’) will have to designate a new candidate to replace him on the ballot, according to the country’s electoral rules.
The regulations indicate that “if a candidate for popular election dies or is in a proven situation of physical, mental or legal incapacity before the respective elections, the political organization or alliance sponsoring such candidacy may replace him/her with another candidate of the same political organization or alliance”.
The ballot papers for the August 20 elections was carried out on July 22, and the name and photo of Villavicencio appears on them, and which will be used in the polling. “The ballots already printed will be used, computing for the new candidate the votes cast for the one previously registered,” according to the electoral regulations.
In a statement posted on Twitter, Construye Ecuador said late Wednesday it has not yet found “the way to react to the horror and pain at the assassination of our presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio”.
“Fernando was always an example of courage and tenacity, a tireless fighter, a brave man,” it said.
Villavicencio’s party recalled that after the murder of Mayor Agustín Intriago in the city of Manta on July 24, there was a discussion about whether to suspend the campaign or beef up security.
“Fernando was radical about it and immediately shared it on his networks,” the party said, quoting Villavicencio as having said: “To remain silent and hide at times when criminals murder citizens and authorities, is an act of cowardice and complicity (...) I ratify my decision to continue in the daily fight until defeating the mafias”.
Construye demanded answers from the state, and the countrys’ judiciary, “so that Fernando’s murder does not go unpunished”.
Correa: “Ecuador is a failed state”
Also on Wednesday evening, former president Rafael Correa posted on Twitter that “Ecuador has become a failed state”.
Correa currently lives in exile in Europe, where he is evading charges brought against him in Ecuador.
He expressed his solidarity with Villavicencio’s family and “with all the families that have been victims of violence”, and said that “those who aim to sow hatred with this new tragedy must understand that all this does is continue to destroy us.