The Secretary General of the United Nations Organization (UN), António Guterres, strongly condemned the assassination of the Ecuadorian presidential candidate, Fernando Villavicencio, which he described as “a serious threat to democracy.”
In a statement, Guterres said that on July 21 he had met with Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso, with whom he discussed “the deterioration of security in Ecuador and the impact of organized crime.”
Guterres reiterated that the UN will continue to support the country’s authorities to deal with violence, “within respect for international human rights standards.”
The six suspects detained in the murder of Villavicencio are Colombian nationals, like the man who died at the scene, Ecuadorian police sources told Efe.
The Ecuadorian authorities have not confirmed whether those responsible belong to any of the organized crime gangs operating in Ecuador.
Villavicencio has pledged to fight these gangs and in recent weeks has reported death threats against them.
Source: TSF
