Ecuador Presidential Debate to Go On Despite Candidate’s Killing

(Bloomberg) -- Ecuador will host a presidential debate on Sunday as scheduled, despite the sudden murder of top candidate Fernando Villavicencio, the country’s top election official said.

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Diana Atamaint, head of Ecuador’s National Electoral Council, said on Thursday elections would go on as planned, including a debate on Sunday and a vote the following week on Aug. 20.

Ecuador has seen violence spike in recent years, tied to booming drug trafficking in nearby Colombia and Peru. The nation is in the midst of snap elections, triggered by current President Guillermo Lasso as a way to avoid impeachment.

Lasso called a nationwide state of emergency in the wake of Villavicencio’s killing. The vote will take place with some 59,000 police officers deployed throughout the country.

Villavicencio’s party has yet to nominate a potential replacement. Atamaint said ballots have already been printed, but votes cast for Villavicencio would count toward his replacement, assuming the nominee is approved by electoral authorities before election day.

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