On the day the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) met to analyze the state of freedom of expression in Ecuador, an Ecuadoran legislator proposed a bill, sent by President Rafael Correa, that would punish government officials who attack freedom of expression, meeting out sentences of three to five years in jail, according to the news agecy Andes.
“Here is proof that the best guarantor of freedom of expression is the president of Ecuadorans," said the legislator, Mauro Andino, from the ruling party Alianza PAIS.
Andino is part of a commission of officials, journalists, and labor union representatives that was to discuss the relationship between the Correa administration and the press during the session of the IACHR, according to Voz de América.
Recently, the organization Fundamedios published a report about the 13 lawsuits against journalists and the media in Ecuador.
The Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the IACHR, which is part of the Organization of American States (OAS), expressed concern over the situation of the press in Ecuador and has said it is "disproportionate" to sue journalists who are critical of the government or who denounce corruption, according to the news agency EFE.
