Attacks on the Press 2004: Ecuador
Ecuador Lucio Gutiérrez, who was elected president in 2002 on an anticorruption platform, repeatedly lashed out at the press in 2004 over allegations of nepotism and campaign finance irregularities. The president and government officials regularly accused the media of “spreading half-truths.” Given the government’s hostility, journalists fear that a new access to information law may…
Supreme Court upholds sentence against journalist
New York, November 11, 2004—Ecuador’s Supreme Court of Justice upheld the conviction of columnist Rodrigo Fierro Benítez on criminal defamation charges, the Committee to Protect Journalists has learned. The Supreme Court then suspended Fierro’s sentence. On October 29, a three-judge Supreme Court panel upheld the one-month prison sentence against Fierro, a columnist for the Quito-based…
CPJ concerned about journalist convicted of criminal defamation
Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a New York-based nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide, is concerned about Ecuadorian journalist Rodrigo Fierro Benítez, who was convicted of criminal defamation in 2003 and whose sentence was recently upheld.
O CPJ preocupado com jornalista condenado pelo delito de injúria
Excelencia: Pela presente, o Comitê para a Proteção dos Jornalistas (CPJ), uma organização sem fins lucrativos radicada em Nova York que se dedica a defender a liberdade de imprensa em todo o mundo, manifesta sua preocupação com o jornalista equatoriano Rodrigo Fierro Benítez, que foi condenado pelo delito de injúria em 2003 e cuja sentença foi ratificada recentemente.
Attacks on the Press 2002: Americas Analysis
Economic and political turmoil throughout Latin America in 2002 had profound implications for the region’s press. Sharp decreases in advertising revenue bankrupted many media outlets, while the failure to consolidate democratic reforms left the media vulnerable to legal and physical assault. Five journalists were killed in Latin America in 2002 for their work.
Attacks on the Press 2002: Ecuador
President Gustavo Noboa’s administration, which has been in power since January 2000, was generally tolerant of criticism in 2002 and respected the work of the press, except for some incidents in which journalists were temporarily denied full access to the Palace of Government.
Attacks on the Press 2002: United States
The U.S. government took aggressive measures in 2002 to shield some of its activities from press scrutiny. These steps not only reduced access for U.S. reporters but had a global ripple effect, with autocratic leaders citing U.S. government actions to justify repressive policies.
Attacks on the Press 2001: Ecuador
In general, press freedom is respected in Ecuador, but journalists complained that government officials continue to blame the media for the country’s problems, including rampant corruption. Throughout much of the year, President Gustavo Noboa sparred with the press over its critical coverage of his administration’s failure to handle a rash of failing private banks–a crisis…