Ecuador

They requested the provisional suspension of the challenged regulations, arguing that allowing them to come into force would constitute an affront towards the provisions of the Constitution and international treaties concerning human rights currently in force in Ecuador.

“We alert the international community to this attempt to silence Ecuadorian journalists. This sentence is no more than a warning of what can happen to those who dare to investigate and denounce cases of corruption during the exercise of power,” says Fundamedios.

The government broadcast two videos aimed at discrediting journalist Fausto Yépez of Teleamazonas and his investigation into alleged spying operations by government departments.

Hubel and Alcibiades Onofre attribute the threats to a news report that linked a woman accused of being the mastermind behind a triple murder to a member of the national assembly.

The new regulations in the code would come into force on 4 February 2012, introducing preemptive censorship to the contents of the media and journalistic coverage of the upcoming electoral campaign.

The WAN-IFRA report reveals that the Ecuadorean government is “establishing a strict control over all arenas of public debate, while couching this in a debate centred around media plurality”.

The chief of state proposes prohibiting the media from broadcasting during the the 48 hours before the elections and until 5:00 pm on the day itself, “any kind of information issued by public institutions, as well as electoral propaganda, opinions or images.”

A message by the Ministry of Culture invited employees to join a campaign against an alleged complaint presented by Fundamedios against Catalina Botero of the IACHR.

The measure may be in reprisal for Perla Orense’s critical stance against the local government and the administration of the Guabo mayor, a member of the governing party.

According to the records, most of the aggressions were initiated by public officials; 18.59% of these by the President.

The Second Criminal Division rejected an appeal for review of the case submitted by Palacio, former opinion editor of the newspaper “El Universo”.

Jaime Mantilla Anderson was sentenced based on a series of reports about allegations of influence peddling and problems faced several years ago by Central Bank president Pedro Delgado.

The magazine had been prosecuted for having allegedly broken the 48-hour electoral silence rule prior to an election by publishing an editorial that referred to the questions included in the popular consultation and referendum of 7 May 2011.

Although the national public administration secretary granted Monica Chuji a pardon, she says that because she didn’t commit any crime, she has no need for the pardon.

Vinicio Alvarado filed a complaint against Mónica Chuji after she referred to him as “nouveau riche” in an interview.

National Assembly President Fernando Cordero was reacting to criticisms by Betty Escobar, an Ecuadorian citizen living in the United States.