"Reporters Without Borders (RSF, for its French initials) has documented four cases of death threats against journalists in Ecuador between January and February 2026, a shocking spike as a RSF partner recorded three of these threats for the whole year of 2025. The threats — phone calls and direct messages — often follow reporting on criminal networks, alleged misconduct in municipal land management and other sensitive local issues. Some threats even target journalists’ family members. The surge comes amid new rules restricting media access to official coverage, raising fresh concerns over the protection of journalists and the state of press freedom.
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This hostile work environment for journalists is compounded by increasing restrictions imposed on the press by the state. On Jan 28, 2026, the Armed Forces issued an internal document, seen by RSF, establishing rules to determine which journalists and media outlets have access to cover their official events, filtering outlets based on their editorial line and previous publications, and permitting the exclusion of outlets that, in the military’s view, 'damage; the institution’s image. Although the measure is not currently in force, as the Armed Forces publicly stated, its issuance and announcement highlight the government’s apathy towards the country’s faltering press freedom."
