Ecuador murder: Fernando Villavicencio's running-mate steps in to contest election

The running-mate of a murdered Ecuadorian person is to contention the statesmanlike predetermination successful his place.

Fernando Villavicencio was changeable 3 times successful the caput aft a run rally successful Quito. Police accidental each suspects are Colombian.

His Construye enactment said it would enactment Andrea Gonzalez guardant arsenic its statesmanlike candidate.

The enactment added that it was successful the process of choosing a vice-presidential campaigner for the August 20 election.

Ms Gonzalez, 36, whose vocation has chiefly focused connected biology issues, is owed to instrumentality portion successful Sunday's statesmanlike statement successful the capital.

The enactment said connected societal media that she would "guarantee the legacy" of Mr Villavicencio "and millions of Ecuadorians volition travel her successful this purpose".

The campaigner for the vice-presidency would travel from "the astir trusted of those who person shared the struggles of comrade Fernando Villavicencio", the enactment added.

Mr Villavicencio, 59, a erstwhile writer and subordinate of the country's nationalist assembly, was changeable 3 times successful the caput arsenic helium near a nationalist lawsuit successful the superior connected Wednesday.

One attacker was killed successful an speech of occurrence with constabulary portion respective others escaped.

His decease has shocked a federation that has mostly escaped the decades of drug-gang violence, cartel wars and corruption that has blighted galore of its neighbours. Crime has nevertheless changeable up successful caller years, fuelled by the maturation of Colombian and Mexican cause cartels.

Mr Villavicencio's run focused connected corruption and gangs, and was 1 of lone a fewer candidates to allege links betwixt organised transgression and authorities officials successful Ecuador.

Interior Minister Juan Zapata said connected Thursday that six suspects had been arrested, adding that were Colombians who were members of organised transgression groups,

Mr Villavicencio, who was joined and had 5 children, was 1 of 8 candidates successful the archetypal circular of the predetermination - though helium was not the frontrunner and was polling astir the mediate of the pack.

Patricia Villavicencio, his sister, said "this transgression can't spell unpunished... We are hurting, with a breached soul, determination is nary justice, determination is nary protection".