CNNE —The family of assassinated Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio has accused the state of the crime of “murder by willful omission” two days before polls open on Sunday. The Ecuadorian Prosecutor’s Office confirmed to CNN that they received a complaint from the family on Friday. The complaint names President Guillermo Lasso and the Minister of the Interior, Juan Zapata, essentially accusing the government of failing to protect him. The family argued that Villavicencio had stated publicly in the past that he had received threats from various criminal groups that, according to him, controlled the Ecuadorian state. The murder of Villavicencio, an outspoken anti-corruption candidate and former investigative journalist, has shaken the country ahead of this Sunday’s crucial presidential and legislative elections.

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Persons: CNNE, Fernando Villavicencio, Guillermo Lasso, Juan Zapata, “, ”, Marco Yaulema, Villavicencio, Zapata, Lasso Organizations: Ecuadorian, Ecuadorian Prosecutor’s Office, CNN, Ecuador’s, ”, Villavicencio Locations: Ecuadorian, Quito, Ecuador