Journalist in Ecuador fired over personal comments on Twitter
Martín Pallares, who had worked for El Comercio for 13 years was dismissed for allegedly not complying with the newspaper’s social media handbook.
Ecuador’s President Correa restricts media reports on active volcano
On 15 August 2015, President Rafael Correa signed a decree declaring a state of emergency throughout the country because of increased activity of the Cotopaxi volcano, and ordered prior censorship on the media and social networks regarding any information on the volcano.
Opponent of Ecuadorian free trade agreements gets bouquet of flowers with threats
Paulina Muñoz had previously received anonymous threats, telling her that she was under surveillance, and that she was suspected of leaking government documents.
Bombs explode outside offices of two newspapers in Ecuador
In both cases, the explosive devices carried a note from the ‘National Liberation Front’, signed by ‘Comandante Ramiro’ who stated that “the true Ecuadorian revolutionaries” are tired of “so much squandering” by the Ecuadorian government.
Columnist fined $40,000 for moral damage against Ecuadorian president
Columnist Miguel Palacios Frugone was ordered to pay USD 40,000 as compensation for moral damage against President Rafael Correa, although it was the columnist who initially sued the head of state over insults against him that came from Correa.
How two democratic governments are muzzling NGOs – perfectly legally
The governments of Ecuador and Canada, both sensitive to criticism and prone to silencing their opponents, are using existing legislation to clamp down on the activities of civil society – including two IFEX members.
Ecuador: Courts stalling on protester appeals
People facing jail terms in Ecuador for participating in anti-government protests can appeal under a new law, but the courts have repeatedly stalled on hearing their cases. The convictions are based on overly broad definitions of crimes that are no longer applicable.
Artist’s home raided near Quito, Ecuador
Vilma Vargas, who is known on social media for her critical drawings of the government, claimed that an intrusion to her home could be a veiled message of intimidation related to her work.
Three online outlets in Ecuador attacked after publishing information on Hacking Team
They were attacked after publishing opinion articles or news reports about the contracts of several Ecuadorian government agencies with Italian company Hacking Team.
Ecuadorian NGO website attacked and disabled for 48 hours
On 27 June 2015, Fundamedios’ website, www.fundamedios.org, was the victim of a cyber attack that caused it to be down and made it impossible for users to access the site’s content.
Ecuador: Recognise right of Fundamedios to report on free expression
IFEX requests the immediate retraction of SECOM’s recent advisory to Fundamedios that forbids the publication of its alerts and threatens the dissolution of the organisation.
Ecuadorian government threatens to close NGO, orders them to stop speaking out
The National Communications Secretariat has ordered NGO Fundamedios “to stop intervening in political issues” via the publication of the organisation’s alerts and other communications.
Two years on, Ecuador’s Communications Act still one of the region’s worst
June 23 marks two years since enactment of the Communication Law, which the IAPA has described as “an instrument of inquisition that turned President Correa into the principal censor in the Americas.”
Dance performance canceled in Ecuador under pressure from Chinese embassy
According to Shen Yun Performing Arts, pressuring theatres is a standard practice of Chinese embassies every time the company presents a show. This is the first time one of their shows has been canceled in Latin America.
Ecuador’s president accuses local NGO Fundamedios of wanting to destabilize the government
During his recent Saturday broadcast, President Correa stated that local NGO Fundamedios receives money from the United States as part of a “smear campaign”.
Ecuadorian journalist’s home graffitied after writing article critical of government
Ivonne Guzmán, a journalist for El Comercio, said she believed the message could be related to her most recent article in which she questioned the high cost of living in Ecuador.