In the text signed by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and sent to Monsignor Alfredo José Espinoza Mateus, the Supreme Pontiff also condemned “with all his might” the “suffering caused by unjustifiable violence.”
He also made “a call to all citizens and political forces to unite in a common effort in favor of peace.”
Villavicencio, second in intention to vote for the early general elections on August 20, was shot to death on Wednesday night in Quito at the end of a rally. In early August, he reported threats against him and his campaign team.
After this crime, Ecuador decreed a state of emergency for 60 days on Thursday.