Pope Francis has condemned the “unjustifiable” assassination of an Ecuadorean presidential candidate and called for an end to political violence.
Fernando Villavicencio (59), a former lawmaker and crusading anti-corruption journalist, was shot dead on 9 August as he left a campaign event in the capital Quito, less than two weeks before the 20 August election.
“In the face of the suffering caused by unjustifiable violence, which he condemns unreservedly, His Holiness calls upon all citizens and political forces to unite in a common effort for peace,” the Vatican said in a telegram of condolence sent to Archbishop Alfredo José Espinoza Mateus of Quito.
The killing has drawn global attention to the wave of violent deaths in Ecuador and its vulnerability to organised crime.
Pope Francis, who visited Ecuador in 2015 in one of the first trips of his pontificate, said he was praying for Villavicencio’s family and all Ecuador's people.
A statement from Ecuador’s bishops said that they “stand in solidarity with the victim's family, and…condemn every form of violence”.
It continued: “We join in with the initiatives to restore social security in our beloved fatherland, while we ratify our firm commitment to praying and operating for a peace grounded in freedom, in justice and in truth.”
In his final speech as a candidate for the presidency, Villavicencio promised to fight Ecuador’s law and order problems, saying he would lock up “thieves” responsible for a culture of entrenched corruption.
He had previously said he was the target of death threats from multiple parties, including one of the largest Mexican drug cartels.
Shortly before he died, he said: “Here I am showing my face. I'm not scared of them.”
Ecuador has detained six Colombian men in connection with the murder. President Guillermo Lasso, said the elections would continue as planned, though under a two-month state of emergency with soldiers guarding polling stations. Villavicencio’s running-mate, Andrea Gonzalez, is to contest the election in his place.
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