Zurita, the makeshift candidate who replaced Villavicencio after his assassination

With no experience in public administration, at 53 years old, Zurita accepted the challenge of taking the place of his friend and partner in various journalistic investigations on the ballots.

Born in Quito, graduated from the Central University of Ecuador, the journalist has an extensive career in local media, always linked to the field of investigation.

He was a personal friend of Villavicencio and was with him on Wednesday of last week, when a group of hitmen killed the hitherto candidate.

A couple of days later, the vice-presidential candidate, environmentalist Andrea González, announced who would take the place of the murdered former assemblyman: "There was no more suitable person than his fellow fighter, who has been brave to tell the truth," she said, to make Zurita official.

The now candidate for the Carondelet Palace said then that he could not "allow, under any circumstances, that Fernando's participation, after his heinous and brutal crime, be lost" due to an eventual annulment of the pairing.

Zurita had to wait until Wednesday night for the electoral authorities to accept his nomination and that is why he was unable to participate in the candidate debate.