Shootings near an Ecuadorian presidential candidate the day before the vote. Another president, assassinated during the campaign
Ecuadorian presidential candidate Otto Sonnenholzner has called for an investigation into a shootout that took place metres from where he was dining with his family on Saturday, August 19, just a day before the presidential election news.ro.
Sonnenholzner said he was having breakfast with his wife and daughters at a restaurant when the violence broke out.
“Minutes after we arrived at the restaurant, there was a shootout after a police chase a few meters from where we were,” Sonnenholzner said in a video message.
The president said neither he nor his family were injured.
Video footage posted online shows Sonnenholzner and his family leaving the restaurant with bulletproof protection.
The shooting came days after the assassination of another presidential candidate, Fernando Villavicencio, who was campaigning against gang violence and corruption, shocked the world.
“This is yet another example of what Ecuadorians face on a daily basis,” Sonnenholzner said of the latest violence. “Thank God we are all well, but we demand an investigation into what happened,” he added.
“The fear and helplessness I saw in the eyes of everyone there hurts me. We cannot continue like this,” Sonnenholzner said.
The circumstances surrounding Saturday’s incident remain unclear.
Fernando Villavicencio, shot dead after campaign event
A deadly escalation of violence has gripped Ecuador in recent years, particularly on the South American country’s Pacific coast, as criminal groups struggle to control and distribute narcotics, particularly cocaine.
Fernando Villavicencio was shot dead while leaving a campaign rally in the capital Quito on August 10. He was known as an important anti-corruption fighter and investigative journalist. Villavicencio was polled with 7.5% voting intention.
8 presidential candidates
On Sunday, August 20, Ecuadorians will decide between eight candidates for the presidential election.
Fighting crime was high on the political agenda even before Villavicencio’s assassination, with various candidates vowing to improve security in the country.
Following Saturday’s shooting, Sonnenholzner reiterated calls to stop the “serious crisis.” “As a husband and father, I know no one should have to go through this. No boy or girl in our country or in the world should live in fear,” he said.
“Now more than ever, we will not give up. We reject violence and appreciate the courage with which Ecuadorians will leave their homes to vote with courage and responsibility for a better Ecuador.”
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