Pope condemns ‘unjustifiable’ assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis is strongly condemning the “unjustifiable” assassination of an Ecuadorian presidential candidate. History’s first Latin American pope sent a telegram of condolence following the brazen assassination of Fernando Villavicencio at a political rally Wednesday night in the capital Quito. The slaying has focused global attention on Ecuador’s wave of violent deaths and the country’s vulnerability to crime. Francis visited Ecuador in 2015 in one of the first trips of his pontificate. He said he was praying for Villavicencio’s family and all Ecuador’s people. He urged them to work together for peace.