QUITO — The political party of Ecuador’s assassinated presidential hopeful, Fernando Villavicencio, picked his would-be vice presidential candidate to replace him as the party standard-bearer on Saturday, just a week before the election. Villavicencio’s Build party, or Construye in Spanish, announced on social media it had tapped Andrea Gonzalez to replace the slain 59-year-old in the Aug. 20 vote. ADVERTISEMENTLater on Saturday, the deceased candidate’s widow criticized the party’s replacement as unlawful. Sarauz described the party decision to tap Gonzalez as “arbitrary” and said it breaks a law that forbids the vice presidential candidate from stepping down. While ballots have already been printed, by law votes for Villvicencio will automatically transfer to the party candidate.
