Ecuador's Construye selects new presidential candidate
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Shortly after the assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, Construye Movement announces the selection of a new candidate for the upcoming presidential elections.
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Christian Zurita, center, and his running mate Andrea Gonzalez following a press conference in Quito on Aug. 13. (AFP via Getty Images)
Construye Movement, the political party affiliated with the late Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, has announced the selection of a new candidate for the upcoming presidential election.
Following the assassination of Villavicencio, his running mate Andrea Gonzalez Nader was initially named as the party's choice for the presidential race. However, the party later revealed that Ecuadorian journalist Christian Zurita would now be their candidate in the election scheduled for August 20.
Tragedy struck the campaign when Villavicencio was fatally shot during a rally just days before the election. The primary suspect in the assassination died from gunshot wounds, while six others were apprehended in connection with the incident.
Despite this shocking event, Diana Atamaint, the President of the National Electoral Council of Ecuador, announced that the early presidential election on August 20 would proceed as planned. She assured the public that the country's armed forces would ensure the safety of the electoral process and pledged to double the security measures for the remaining presidential candidates.
Additional reports from Ecuadorian media indicated that Estefany Puente Castro, a left-wing opposition politician contending for a seat in the National Assembly, came under an armed attack while driving in the city of Quevedo, located in the province of Los Rios. Fortunately, Puente and her companions, including her father and an employee, were unharmed.
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