In a move to honor the memory of the late presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, the political movement backing him has selected Ecuadorian journalist Christian Zurita to stand in his place in the upcoming presidential election.
The leadership of the Construye Movement confirmed on Sunday that Christian Zurita will be their candidate.
The initial decision made by the National Electoral Council to replace Villavicencio with his partner, Andrea González, caused controversy, according to the Associated Press (AP). González will still run as the vice presidential candidate.
In response to the lack of clarity from the CNE and the angry reaction from some political factions, the Construye Movement stated on Twitter: “Christian Zurita @christianzr will be registered as our presidential candidate.”
Villavicencio, aged 59, was tragically shot and killed in broad daylight in the capital city, Quito, last week. While he was not the frontrunner in the race, he was renowned for his dedication in the fight against crime and corruption.
Last week, Ecuadorian authorities announced the arrest of six Colombian men in connection with the assassination of the presidential candidate. The men will remain in custody for at least 30 days as investigations continue. If found guilty, they could face up to 26 years in prison each.
At a press conference, Zurita, 53, appeared alongside his running mate González, both wearing bulletproof vests. Zurita stated that they are waiting for an official announcement from the National Electoral Council regarding their candidacy.
In May, Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso dissolved the National Assembly of Ecuador using a constitutional provision from 2008, which allows the president to take such action during times of political crisis, on the condition that new elections are scheduled for both lawmakers and the president.
Opposition lawmakers challenged Lasso’s decision, accusing him of dissolving the legislature to avoid impeachment proceedings against him for alleged crimes against state security and corruption. However, Ecuador’s Constitutional Court dismissed these challenges, allowing the elections to proceed as scheduled.
The presidential and legislative elections are still set to take place on August 20.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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