Mexico City. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, condemned on Thursday the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio and urged the Ecuadorian authorities to protect the population.
“It is important to urgently and fairly carry out a transparent, thorough and independent investigation to hold those responsible for this attack to account. Violence against political candidates is a serious threat to the electoral process and the ability of the population to express their will democracy,” Türk said.
“The terrible murder on Wednesday, which has left many people both inside and outside Ecuador in shock and mourning, underscores the challenges facing the country and its people in the midst of violence,” he said.
Villavicencio’s murder shocked the South American country, where rising drug-related violence is a major concern for voters, prompting some of his rivals to suspend the campaign.
Villavicencio, a critic of corruption and organized crime, was assassinated on Wednesday during an evening campaign event in northern Quito.
“I urge the authorities to make an effort to strengthen protection measures for political candidates, public officials and journalists, and to protect the life and personal integrity of people in accordance with international human rights standards, in order to avoid for such a tragic crime to be repeated,” Türk added.
Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso said the crime was clearly an attempt to sabotage the elections, but the vote would take place as planned on August 20, albeit amid a state of national emergency with law enforcement mobilized. to ensure safety.
