Ecuador: Former assemblyman accuses the Government of lack of protection for Fernando Villavicencio

Former Assemblyman Ricardo Vanegaspersonal friend of Fernando Villavicenciothe candidate for the Presidency of Ecuador who was assassinated this Wednesday in a crowded sector of Quitocriticized the Government for the lack of timely protection for the applicant.

“The security that Fernando should have on the part of the Ministry of Interior”, Vanegas, who went to the area where the shooting occurred, perpetrated, according to the authorities, by hitmen, told EFE.

LOOK HERE: Who was Fernando Villavicencio, the presidential candidate stubborn in fighting corruption in Ecuador

Vanegas said that he did not have much information about what happened, as he assured that the Police has cordoned off the area and prevents the passage of people, including friends of the candidate.

The former legislator indicated that he found out about the crime from the notice made by the candidate for Parliament gissela molinawho accompanied Villaviencio at the rally where he suffered the attack.

Molina is one of the people injured in the shooting and suffered an eye injury, said Vanegas who went to the Women’s Clinica nearby health care center and where Villavicencio was transferred after receiving bullet wounds.

“I understand that there are three injured and Fernando who died”, said the former legislator after insisting on the responsibility of the Ministry of the Interior, which had assigned Villavicencio special protection after having denounced death threats against him.

People who had attended the proselytizing rally in Villavicencio indicated that the assigned security agents were unable to control the surprise attack and that several bursts of automatic weapons were heard at the site.

In addition, the image of a man apparently riddled with bullets in a judicial unit of Quito who, according to the comments, would be one of the hitmen arrested after the attack on the candidate. The authorities have not ruled on this information.

MORE INFORMATION: Ecuador: suspect in the murder of Fernando Villavicencio dies after being arrested by the police

On his side, the president of Ecuadorthe conservative William Lassoexpressed his dismay at the murder of Villavicencio and has promised that the crime will not go unpunished.

“Outraged and shocked by the assassination of the presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. My solidarity and my condolences with his wife and his daughters. For his memory and for his fight, I assure you that this crime will not go unpunished.”, wrote Lasso on social networks.

The crime in Villavicencio occurred at the end of the afternoon on the outskirts of a coliseum where the candidate had participated with supporters in a rally, within the framework of the electoral campaign for the extraordinary elections next year. 20th of August.

Villavicencio, 59 years old and identified as a staunch critic of the former president Rafael Correa (2007-2017), had been mobilizing with police protection for a few weeks and had reported death threats against him.

In addition to Villavicencio, the environmentalist had registered for the presidential elections on August 20 Yaku Perezthe former correísta legislator Luis Gonzalezthe security expert Jan Topicthe former vice president Otto Sonnenholznerthe politician Daniel Hervasbusinessman Daniel Noboa and the independent Bolivar Armijos.

All of them have also condemned the attack suffered by Villavicencio and have expressed their dismay and solidarity with the family and loved ones of the journalist and former Ecuadorian assemblyman.

ALSO SEE: Lasso assures that “the full weight of the law will fall” on the assassins of the candidate Fernando Villavicencio

Some of them have also announced that they are suspending their campaigns and have offered a pact and call for unity in the face of the crisis of insecurity and violence from organized crime that Ecuador is going through.

Ecuador closed 2022 with the highest rate of violent deaths in its history, registering 25.32 per 100,000 inhabitants, the vast majority associated, according to the Government, to organized crime and drug trafficking, which has gained strength on the coast and has turned to the ports in large springboards for the cocaine that arrives at Europe and North America.

Source: Elcomercio

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I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.