Luis Chancay, president of the National Educators’ Union of Guayas, Ecuador, filed a complaint before the People’s Defender on Sept. 23 because of a memorandum from the Ministry of Education. This memorandum prohibits rectors, directors and professors of educational institutions in the Province of Guayas from giving statements to the press without the authorization of the sub secretary of said ministry, according to the Ecuadorian newspaper El Universal.
According the newspaper, Chancay argued in the complaint that the prohibition flagrantly violates the laws, freedom of expression, and the constitutional guarantees of all citizens. He added that in the case of the teachers, this right to express oneself freely also is mentioned in Article 10 of the Organic Intercultural Education Law.
In an interview with non-profit Fundamedios, the president of the UNE of Guayas said that this measure, detailed on memorandum SEDG-2013-01159-MEM and sent to 11 school district directors, “is an attempt to silence and muzzle teachers because of their fear that teachers will reveal the reality of what’s going on in Ecuador’s teaching community.”
Chancay also told El Universal that the intended purpose of this prohibition is to stop teachers from giving opinions regarding retirement pensions in bonds and the increase in hours without an increase in wages.
The memorandum from the office of Augusto Espinoso, signed by Carol Paola Segovia Muentes, regional head of Social Communication, stated the following: “I write to inform you that due to a decree from the head office, rectors, directors, and professors, shall not give any statements to the media. The Ministry of Education has spokesmen to prevent misinformation. Therefore, I ask all of you to comply with this decree and in the event that [someone] should have to make a statement, they should first consult the Sub-Secretary.”
Note from the editor: This story was originally published by the Knight Center’s blog Journalism in the Americas, the predecessor of LatAm Journalism Review.
