UN Strongly Condemns Killing of Presidential Candidate in Ecuador

The United Nations has strongly condemned the killing of a presidential candidate in Ecuador, calling on authorities to investigate the crime.

In a statement, UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said: "The UN system in Ecuador called for an investigation “so that there is no sense of impunity, and to redouble efforts to stop this wave of violence that is sadly affecting all the country’s population."

Also, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, condemned what he called "this shocking criminal act".

He affirmed the importance of promptly carrying out a transparent, thorough, and independent investigation to hold those responsible to account.

"Violence against political candidates is a serious threat to the electoral process and the people’s ability to express their democratic will," he noted.

The UN statement came in response to the death of Fernando Villavicencio, 59, who was assassinated after leaving a campaign rally at a school in the capital, Quito, on Wednesday evening, according to news reports.