The assassination of the presidential candidate shocked the Ecuadorians living in Spain

The Spanish government has condemned the assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio after he suffered three shots in the head in an attack by a group of hit men during an election rally in Quito, capital of Ecuador, ahead of the next elections on August 20.

This was announced by the leading Ministry for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation on Thursday Jose Manuel Albares in a statement supporting democracy, the electoral process and the Ecuadorian authorities “so that the tragic death be investigated and those responsible brought to justice.”

There were several in the shooting that killed Villavicencio, a former trade unionist and candidate for the Construye movement at least nine injuredincluding a candidate for the National Assembly and two police officers, according to the Ecuadorian prosecutor’s office.

Meanwhile, the leader of the PP, Alberto Nunez Feijóo, has expressed condolences to the Ecuadorian people and their President, Guillermo Lasso, for the murder. “Democracy must triumph over shame like yesterday,” defended Feijóo in a message on the social network Twitter collected by Europa Press, in which he reacted to the murder of Villavicencio.

The PP’s “number three”, Elías Bendodo, also commented on this murder. In statements to Radio Nacional de España collected by Europa Press, Bendodo condemned the killing and offered his condolences to the family and friends of the Ecuadorian candidate.

For her part, the President of the Autonomous Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, has described the Ecuadorian presidential candidate as a “hero” and classified him as “centre-right”. Horrific murder in Ecuador of center-right candidate Fernando Villavicencio, who for years denounced the links between drug trafficking and revolutionary ultra-left networks. In the face of heroes like him, what right do we have here to shy away from it? “Totalitarianism for political convenience?” the regional president sent in a statement.

In Spain there is 123,736 Ecuadorian residents. But if you add those who already have dual citizenship, the number rises to almost half a million. So we’re talking about the third largest immigrant community in the country, surpassed only by Moroccans and Romanians.