The President of the Republic, Guillermo Lasso, declared a state of emergency in Ecuador, after the crime of the candidate Fernando Villavicencioin Quito.
The announcement was made at midnight this Wednesday, August 9, 2023.
Lasso also decreed three days of mourning for the Villavicencio assassination. “It’s to honor the memory of a patriot,” she commented.
The state of exception will be for 60 days and began at dawn this Thursday, August 10, after the signing of the decree.
“The Armed Forces, from this moment, are mobilized throughout the national territory to guarantee the safety of citizens, the tranquility of the country and free and democratic elections,” said Lasso.
The President, the security cabinet and the authorities of the electoral and judicial functions met for more than three hours.
Diana Atamaint, from the CNE; the State Attorney General, Diana Salazar; the president of the National Court of Justice, Iván Saquicela, and the ministers.
Lasso said that “this is a political crime, it is not a coincidence that it happens a few days after the first presidential return.”
The President said that the assassins threw a grenade that did not explode. He confirmed that there six detainees.
“We are not going to back down, the State is firm. To those who seek to intimidate the State, we say that we are not going to hand over power and democratic institutions to organized crime, even if it is disguised as political organizations, ”he indicated.
Diana Atamain, president of the CNE, repudiated the criminal act, and pointed out “that the date of the elections scheduled for August 20 remains.”
He announced that the Armed Forces and the Police will redouble security on election day.