Following the assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio on August 9, the political movement Construye has chosen journalist and author Christian Zurita to take the place of the late politician. Vice-presidential candidate Andrea González, also of Construye, made the announcement just before the presidential debate, during which only seven candidates will participate due to the crime.
Led by their commitment to illustrate the strength and unity of the movement, the Construye team opted against settling for Andrea Gonzalez, who had earlier been nominated as Villavicencio’s official substitute. Fearing that the National Electoral Council (CNE) may not accept the nomination, Zurita — a long-time colleague whom worked with Villavicencio for 15 years — was ultimately chosen as the replacement. The Ecuadorian journalist declared during a press conference that he would strive to mimic Villavicencio’s vision of a future where corruption and crime would no longer exist.
Zurita has nearly thirty years of journalistic experience, and has been working closely with Villavicencio during his campaign. He is best known for his collaboration with Villavicencio on the book Arroz Verde, which exposed the bribery and money laundering that were commonplace under Rafael Correa’s administration. The revelations led to the trial and imprisonment of seventeen officials, including the former president himself.
The approval of their binomial is set to be decided on August 20th, just days before the upcoming elections. If they are accepted, Villavicencio’s image will appear on the printed ballots. Election Day promises to be a large-scale security event with three hundred military personnel deployed outside the public media building.
Christian Zurita’s candidacy has sparked hope among Ecuadorians that Villavicencio’s legacy will live on despite his untimely death, and his project will be seen out in the polls.
With information from AP
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