Tangled in an everlasting battle against the Ecuadorian press, the Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa attacked and discredited the work of journalists once again during an interview with the founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, in the program “The World Tomorrow,” on Tuesday, May 22, reported the news outlet Europa Press.
During the interview, president Correa said that, just as it happens in his administration, leftist governments "are affected by the persecution of journalists” when they propose political projects, reported the newspaper El Universo. “The governments that try to do something for the larger majorities are persecuted by journalists that think that, by having an inkwell and a microphone, they can vent even their hostility," said Correa.
In addition to criticizing the press for allegedly advocating the interests of its owners, Correa defended his Communication Law proposal, which is still pending, and, according to the president, it would “democratize information, social communication, [and] the property of news media," reported the newspaper El Comercio. According to the newspaper La Hora, “19 news outlets are currently in the State's hands” in Ecuador.
In addition, the United Nations expressed concern about the state of freedom of press and of expression in Ecuador during the Universal Periodic Review of Human Rights, on Monday, May 21, reported the newspaper El Diario. According to a report by the Ecuadorian NGO Fundamedios, 17 governments asked the Ecuadorian administration to "effectively respect and guarantee freedom of expression and of the press in the country.”
