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Ecuador


Blog | Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, USA

At OAS, a victory for human rights and free expression

By Carlos Lauría/Senior Americas Program Coordinator
Foreign Minister of Ecuador Ricardo Patiño speaks about human rights during the Organization of American States general assembly in Washington, D.C., on March 22. (AP/Jacquelyn Martin)

By reaffirming the autonomy and independence of the regional human rights system and rejecting attempts to neutralize the work of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and its special rapporteur for freedom of expression, the Organization of American States (OAS) chose last week to discard proposals that would have made citizens throughout the hemisphere more vulnerable to abuses.

The OAS extraordinary assembly, held at the organization's headquarters in Washington, D.C. on Friday, adopted a resolution by which the 35 member states ratified the ability of the commission to continue receiving voluntary contributions. Analysts and human rights advocates say the decision was a blow to countries of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas, known as ALBA, which have been pushing to preclude outside funding for the IACHR.

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March 26, 2013 5:08 PM ET | | Also in Español
Tags: IACHR, Impact, Organization of American States
Blog | Ecuador

Battle between Correa, Ecuadoran press to wage on

By John Otis/ CPJ Andes Correspondent
A passer-by stops to look at a newspaper the day after Correa is re-elected. (AFP/Rodrigo Buendia)

In the wake of President Rafael Correa's landslide re-election on Sunday, many Ecuadoran reporters are bracing for another four years of conflict with his left-leaning government.  Neither side claims to relish the prospect, but continued clashes seem inevitable given the bad blood that has developed between them. 

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February 20, 2013 10:54 AM ET | | Comments (1) | Also in Español
Tags: El Comercio, El Telégrafo, El Universo, Fundamedios, Harassed, Rafael Correa, Threatened, Vanguardia
Blog | Ecuador

Electoral law dulls reporting as Correa nears re-election

By John Otis/CPJ Andes Correspondent
Supporters of President Rafael Correa attend a political rally in Quito, Ecuador, on February 9. (Reuters/Guillermo Granja)

It's by far the dullest space in the newspaper: Every day in El Universo, Ecuador's leading daily, readers can find eight small photos and news blurbs summing up the activities of the eight presidential candidates. The articles are the same size and blocked together in a layout that resembles a tic-tac-toe game, minus the ninth square.

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February 12, 2013 10:51 AM ET | | Comments (1) | Also in Español
Tags: Christian Zurita, El Telégrafo, El Universo, Fundamedios, Gama TV, Hoy, Janet Hinostroza, Jorge Glas, José Hernández, Legal Action, Monica Almeida, Orlando Pérez, Patricio Barriga, Rafael Correa, TC, Teleamazonas, Threatened, Vistazo
Blog | Ecuador

In Correa's Ecuador, a bulletin on breakfast is routine

By John Otis/CPJ Andes Correspondent
The government of Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa has pre-empted more than eight days worth of air time with mandatory broadcasts. (Reuters/Guillermo Granja)

On September 11, 2012, the Ecuadoran government interrupted a morning newscast on the Teleamazonas TV station for an official bulletin. What could be so urgent? A coup d'etat? An earthquake? A cholera outbreak? 

It turned out the government sought to clarify what President Rafael Correa had for breakfast.

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February 4, 2013 12:31 PM ET |
Tags: Alfonso Espinosa, Cadenas, César Ricaurte, Ecuavisa, Fundamedios, Harassed, Janet Hinostroza, Patricio Barriga, Rafael Correa, Teleamazonas
Blog | Ecuador

Repression deepens as Correa heads to new term

By John Otis/CPJ Andes Correspondent
Critics say that Correa, seen here speaking during a campaign rally for the upcoming presidential election, has turned the Ecuadoran press into his whipping boy. (AFP/Rodrigo Buendia)

One result of President Rafael Correa's high-profile campaign to demonize the country's private media can be seen on the desk of José Velásquez, news manager at Teleamazonas, a private Quito television station often critical of the government. Among the documents piled high on his desk are lawsuits, which used to be a rare thing. Encouraged by Correa, who has personally sued newspapers and journalists, Velásquez says, the subjects of Teleamazonas news reports are now filing between two and five lawsuits per month against the station.

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January 29, 2013 3:27 PM ET | | Comments (5)
Tags: Attacked, Censored, Harassed, Intimidated, Janet Hinostroza, José Velásquez, Juan Carlos Calderón, Killed, Rafael Correa, Teleamazonas, Threatened, Twitter, Vanguardia
Blog | CPJ, Ecuador, USA, Venezuela

Correa supporters protest as Cabot winners celebrated

By Sara Rafsky/CPJ Americas Research Associate
Protesters gather outside the Cabot Awards on Thursday. (CPJ/Sara Rafsky)

The Maria Moors Cabot Prizes, administered by Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in recognition of journalistic contributions to Inter-American understanding, are the oldest international prizes in journalism. But Josh Friedman, director of the prizes, said this year marked the first time he remembered arriving at the awards ceremony to be greeted by protesters screaming from behind barricades. The tuxedo and gown-clad guests last night shot confused glances across the street from Columbia's Italian Academy building, where about 20 protesters brandishing Ecuadoran flags and pictures of President Rafael Correa yelled slogans like "Down the with corrupt press!" and "Long live President Correa!" One sign identified a long list of alleged "enemies of Latin American democracy" that managed to include the leading dailies of South America, the United States, Spain, the Ecuadoran press freedom group Fundamedios and the Committee to Protect Journalists.

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October 26, 2012 5:19 PM ET | | Also in Español
Tags: Carlos Pérez Barriga, César Pérez Barriga, César Ricaurte, David Luhnow, El País, El Universo, Fundamedios, Gustavo Cortez, Hugo Chávez, Josh Friedman, Juan Forero, Julian Assange, Maria Moors Cabot Prizes, Miguel Ángel Bastenier, Nicolás Pérez Lapentti, Rafael Correa, Tal Cual, Teodoro Petkoff
Blog | CPJ, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, USA, Venezuela

Latin American press faces violence, legal harassment

As Venezuela's election nears, President Hugo Chávez has a clear advantage in media access because he has broken down the independent press with threats and regulations while building up a huge state media apparatus. (AP/Ariana Cubillos)

Violence and legal harassment: the two greatest obstacles to press freedom in Latin America today. That's the message that CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon is delivering this morning in Washington, D.C., at a briefing hosted by Congressman Sam Farr. Farr, a California Democrat, hosts a monthly series looking at emerging trends in the Western Hemisphere. The panel today also includes Commissioner Dinah Shelton of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and Delphine Halgand of Reporters Without Borders.

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October 3, 2012 10:33 AM ET |
Tags: Attacked, Censored, Hugo Chávez Frías, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Legal Action, Rafael Correa
Blog | Ecuador, Sweden, UK, USA

As it backs Assange, Ecuador stifles expression at home

By Carlos Lauría/Americas Senior Program Coordinator
Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa holds the hands of Christine Assange, the mother of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, during a meeting in Quito, Ecuador, Aug. 1. (AP/Martin Jaramillo)

The Quito government's decision to grant Julian Assange political asylum comes at a time when freedom of expression is under siege in Ecuador. President Rafael Correa's press freedom record is among the very worst in the Americas, and providing asylum to the WikiLeaks founder won't change the repressive conditions facing Ecuadoran journalists who want to report critically about government policies and practices.

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August 16, 2012 5:25 PM ET | | Comments (21) | Also in Español
Tags: César Ricaurte, Censored, El Universo, Expelled, Fundamedios, Harassed, Julian Assange, Legal Action, Rafael Correa, WikiLeaks
Blog | Brazil, Ecuador, India, Pakistan

Brazil restates commitment to press freedom, UN plan

By Elisabeth Witchel/CPJ Impunity Campaign Consultant

CPJ has received an encouraging letter from Ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, Brazil's permanent representative to the United Nations, affirming the country's support for the UNESCO-led U.N. Plan of Action for Security of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity. 

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June 13, 2012 12:58 PM ET | | Also in Português
Tags: Impunity, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Legal Action, Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, Organization of American States, UNESCO, United Nations
Blog | Ecuador

Nations urge Ecuador to guarantee freedom of expression

By Carlos Lauría/CPJ Americas Senior Program Coordinator
Foreign Affairs Minister Ricardo Patiño said 'ignorance' was behind international criticism of press freedom conditions in Ecuador. (AP/Dolores Ochoa)

Stressing concerns of human rights groups about the deterioration of press conditions under the administration of President Rafael Correa, 17 members of the United Nations submitted recommendations to Ecuador on freedom of expression issues before the U.N. Human Rights Council this week. While Ecuador tried to pass off the criticism as resulting from ignorance, the states' observations made clear that the international community is fully aware of Correa's repressive tactics against the local media.

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May 24, 2012 12:11 PM ET | | Comments (2) | Also in Español
Tags: Defamation, El Universo, Legal Action, U.N. Human Rights Council, Universal Periodic Review
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