Ecuador

(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Without Borders has expressed concern over the sidelining of journalist Javier Molina of TV station Cablenoticias, which has been state-run since July 2008. Molina was the host of the political programme “Sobremesas de entorno”. The journalist received three warnings from the new government-appointed management after the station was taken over, ordering him […]

(IPYS/IFEX) – On 25 November 2008, Francisco Pinoargotti, director and presenter of Gama TV’s program “Buenos Muchachos”, which includes entertainment, satire and black humor, said that his program was cancelled arbitrarily following orders issued by the new state-appointed co-manager of the station, Carlos Alvarado. According to Pinoargotti, the program which was to air on 24 […]

(IPYS/IFEX) – On 25 September 2008, journalist Freddy Aponte Aponte, of the radio station Luz y Vida, based in the city of Loja, was sentenced to sixth months’ imprisonment by the III Criminal Bench of the National Court of Justice. He is accused of having slandered Loja’s former mayor, José Bolívar Castillo Vivanco, who on […]

(IPYS/IFEX) – On 20 November 2008, a group of journalists and camera operators were watched and made uncomfortable by Parliament security personnel when they were attempting to cover a meeting that was taking place in one of the offices of the National Assembly’s Legislative and Auditing Commission (Comisión de Legislación y Fiscalización), better known as […]

(IPYS/IFEX) – On 13 November 2008, journalist Daisy Pico, a correspondent for the “Diario Expreso” newspaper, said she is being threatened and harassed by Mauricio Montesdeoca Martinetti. Montesdeoca Martinetti has been identified in police reports as being the person known by the pseudonym of “El Justiciero” (“The Avenger”). He has been accused of being a […]

(IPYS/IFEX) – On 13 November 2008, Radio Ritmo radio station, which is based in the province of Santa Elena, western Ecuador, was closed down after the Telecommunications Superintendence (Superintendencia de Telecomunicaciones, SUPERTEL) acted on a resolution by the National Radio and Television Council (Consejo Nacional de Radiodifusión y Televisión, CONARTEL) which called for the return […]

(IPYS/IFEX) – Journalists from various media outlets have protested against new security measures that have been implemented since 22 October 2008 by the National Assembly’s Legislative and Auditing Commission, better known as the “Congresillo”. According to the new regulations, journalists may only occupy the press room and cannot access the offices of the General Secretariat, […]

General Assembly 2008 Country Report: Ecuador

(IPYS/IFEX) – On 15 October 2008, Red Telesistema (RTS) network camera operator Germán Vera, was assaulted by a group of squatters when he was covering a confrontation between them and the tenants of Hacienda Mercedes, located in Guayas province, western Ecuador. The journalist went to the area after the state took over the land claiming […]

(IPYS/IFEX) – On the morning of 7 October 2008, Eduardo Molina, a cameraman for the Red Telesistema (RTS) television network, was struck with stones as he covered a confrontation between students at the Aguirre Abad School and police in Guayaquil, western Ecuador. The students were protesting because an expansion of their school that had been […]

(IPYS/IFEX) – On 12 September 2008, Eduardo Molina, a camera operator for the Red Telesistema (RTS) television network, was assaulted by demonstrators who were waiting for the arrival of President Rafael Correa at the Hilton Colón hotel, in the city of Guayaquil. The incident took place when the photographer was covering a confrontation between the […]

(IPYS/IFEX) – On 16 July 2008, journalist Marlon Torres was insulted by prefect Darwin Lozada Cortés in response to a question that annoyed him. Torres is the correspondent of Radio Sucumbíos in the canton of Shushufindi, northern Ecuador. That same day, the prefect had delivered 240 fumigation pumps to the area’s farmers, who were not […]

(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Without Borders regrets the seizure of three privately-owned broadcast media outlets on 8 July 2008 – two Quito-based TV stations (Gamavisión and TC Televisión) and a radio station based in the western city of Guayaquil (Radio Sucre) – which resulted in a few changes to their programming but not in any interruption […]

(RSF/IFEX) – Raúl Rodríguez, deputy head of news on Radio Sucre, was apparently murdered for personal reasons and not in connection with his work, the prosecutor in charge of the investigation, Antonio Galiardo, told Agence France-Presse on 27 June 2008. He said the journalist’s mistress, Luz Rivera, was believed to have paid a hit-man US$4,500 […]

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF hopes that the 23 June 2008 murder of Radio Sucre deputy news director Raúl Rodríguez, which took place in the western city of Guayaquil, will be quickly solved. The motive has yet to be established, but Rodríguez, 64, had been the target of attacks in the past. “Rodríguez carried a gun because […]

Report to the Midyear Meeting 2008: Ecuador