Catholic Bishops of Ecuador Condemn the Assassination of Fernando Villavicencio - Candidate for the Presidency

 The candidate for the Presidency of Ecuador, Fernando Villavicencio was assassinated yesterday on August 9th, by three shots, while he was concluding an electoral rally of his campaign. The attack, which occurred in the center of Quito, Ecuador, left nine people injured. The alleged perpetrator of the murder died in a shootout with security personnel, according to the Ecuadorian Attorney General's Office.

The Catholic bishops of Ecuador express their "deep solidarity" with the family of Fernando Villavicencio, presidential candidate assassinated this Wednesday. In a note published on its social networks, the Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference (CEC) condemns "all forms of violence unleashed at different levels of society."

The Prelates join the initiatives to recover social security "in our beloved Homeland", while ratifying their firm commitment to pray and work for peace, based on freedom, justice and truth.

The President of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, expressed, on his official Twitter account, his condolences to the relatives of Villavicencio. "For his memory and his fight, I assure you that this crime will not go unpunished," he said, and announced that the Security Cabinet would meet in Carondelet.

Likewise, he signed decrees 840 and 841, declaring 3 days of national mourning and a state of emergency for 60 days.

Sources: Vatican News and the Catholic Bishops Conference of Ecuador linked below