“Fuerza Ecuador!”: Local celebrities join the voices of protest against violence in the country

The deadly attack suffered by presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio at the end of the afternoon this Wednesday, August 9, in Quito, has raised alarm in Ecuadorian society due to the situation of violence in the country. Many shared their thoughts of anxiety, concern, even resignation, but especially and above all rejection of the recent violent event.

Most digital users have shared black and white photos with the Ecuadorian flag on WhatsApp and Instagram. Singer-songwriters Pamela Cortés and Mirella Cesa were one of them, and they accompanied the graphic with messages such as “Your slow and abandoned country hurts.”

One of the first compatriots to raise her voice was international queen Andrea Aguilera, crowned Miss Supranational 2023. In last night’s live video on the Instagram platform, the sovereign beauty shared her fears with her followers. “What’s left for us Ecuadorians, if one of these days someone in our family is killed because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, they kill us,” said a worried young woman from Ventanas, Los Ríos.

Famous singer Martín Galarza, better known as Au-D he also referred to last night’s situation. “Today we will sleep in fire and wake up in a country we no longer recognize,” he wrote on Twitter, later encouraging his followers by saying: “Today more than ever, not a step back.”

In the middle of a family trip to Japan, journalist Denisse Molina, who has been living in Asia for more than a year, had to take a break to collect herself and process what happened in her native country. The communicator, who changed her address to Thailand, said she had to get away from her children so that they would not see her affected by the candidate’s crime.

“Shocked by what’s happening in Ecuador, because it’s like the movie we saw about Pablo Escobar, when these murders happened and absolutely nothing happened and we saw him so unattainable,” complained Molina, distanced from her little ones while were continuing to stroll through Universal Park, apparently in Japan, where the former news anchor was vacationing this week. Finally, holding back her tears, the journalist sent her condolences to the Villavicencio family.

For her part, TV presenter Gabriela Díaz used the exposure of social networks to convey a message of peace: “I just want to send a message to those who need us, hope and strength in the days when we are surrounded by the shadow of insecurity, let’s remember that the light always wins”.

In a similar vein, Cuenza singer Javier Neira also wanted to send words of encouragement to his fans. Right from the balcony in the capital, where he has been since yesterday, the composer said: “This is the moment to unite as Ecuadorians and show that there are more of us good guys and that we don’t have to let Ecuador win because of a few idiots… No let’s give Ecuador.”

Journalist Galo Arellano, known for his reports on “Ecuadorians in the world”, also paid tribute to former representative Villavicencio with a poster with his portrait. He accompanied this with his perception that Ecuadorian society is in a “macabre scenario”.