Attacks of this nature represent a serious threat to democracy, and those responsible must be brought to justice, he said in a message released here.

On Thursday, Guterres expressed his solidarity with the Government and people of Ecuador, especially with Villavicencio’s family.

He also recalled his latest meeting with Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso, at which they discussed the deteriorating security in Ecuador, the impact of organized crime and the need to intensify national and international efforts to combat it.

“The United Nations will continue to support Ecuadorian authorities in addressing violence with full respect for international human rights principles and standards,” the text concludes.

Villavicencio’s assassination on Wednesday afternoon, after concluding a rally in Quito, has shocked the country amid an unprecedented escalation of insecurity and political violence.

After hearing the news, Lasso urgently convened the Security Cabinet and decreed a national state of emergency for 60 days.

So far, there are six detainees linked to the crime, and another suspect died last night at the headquarters of the Flagrancy Unit of the Prosecutor’s Office.

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