IPI on Monday stressed serious concerns about the deterioration of press freedom in Ecuador, following the conclusion of its May 7-11 press freedom mission to the country.
During the mission, IPI Acting Deputy Director Anthony Mills and IPI Press Freedom Adviser for Latin America & The Caribbean Mariela Hoyer met with Vice-President Lenin Moreno, Communications Secretary Fernando Alvarado and Justice Minister Johana Pesántez, and with a broad array of media owners, editors, journalists, civil society organisations and politicians. IPI visited both the capital, Quito, and Guayaquil, in the province of Guayas.
Although the government denied that press freedom was under attack in Ecuador, a disturbing picture emerged of an independent media rattled by a series of high-profile criminal defamation cases brought by President Rafael Correa. There was also a general climate of hostility towards the media, exemplified by derogatory graffiti across the capital, Quito, targeting two critical newspapers in particular: El Universo and El Comercio. Journalists, editors and publishers spoke of a climate of fear.
Independent media stakeholders with whom IPI spoke expressed grave concern at a series of criminal defamation suits against critical media figures in Ecuador, including one resulting in prison terms and a US$40 million fine for three newspaper publishers and a former columnist, and another in which two journalists were ordered to compensate the president to the tune of US$1 million for libelling him in a book they co-wrote. Although the defendants were ultimately pardoned by the president, the cases have had a chilling effect on the media. Editors and journalists told IPI they were now resorting to self-censorship.
At a press conference with IPI, Communications Secretary Alvarado announced that the government would be seeking to decriminalise a specific law relating to the defamation of public figures. In a subsequent meeting, though, Justice Minister Pesántez said that, despite ongoing efforts at penal reform, criminal defamation would remain on the books. Pesántez also indicated that the reforms included legislation compelling journalists to identify their sources if these were accused of defaming someone.
IPI Deputy Director Mills said: “IPI welcomes the move to decriminalise defamation of a public figure – particularly in the context of the high-profile recent suits brought by the president against journalists. However, we remain concerned at the intention to include in any new legislation more general criminal defamation laws, and at suggestions that the confidentiality of sources may be jeopardised.”
IPI Executive Director Alison Bethel McKenzie added: “We are also disturbed by the climate of hostility targeting the private media, particularly El Comercio and El Universo. We urge the authorities to acknowledge that a critical media, performing also a watchdog function, is a fundamental pillar of any democracy, and that journalists must have the right to work independently, and without fear.”
IPI will be issuing a report on the mission’s findings in the coming month.
