Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa has a torrid relationship with press freedom. His arsenal of repression includes such tactics as pre-empting private broadcasts to denounce the presenters, bankrupting papers through defamation suits, and publicly shouting down critics who dare question him.
In his latest attempt to censor free expression Correa has targeted the office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, an independent body of the Organization of American States. CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon wrote an op-ed for The Miami Herald expressing support for the OAS and calling on the organization to stand firm against any attempt to silence the press.