With just days before Ecuador heads to the polls again, six national and international press freedom organizations have addressed presidential candidates Luisa González and Daniel Noboa. They called on the candidates to publicly commit to respecting and protecting news workers. In a joint statement, the groups warned of the growing deterioration of the environment for […]
"Three media outlets in Ecuador are being sued by businessman Pedro Bejarano Alvarado, who accuses Mil Hojas, Plan V, and the news site La Fuente – Periodismo de Investigación of publishing 'false and inaccurate' information that harms his 'reputation and honor.' A verdict has already been issued against journalist Juan Carlos Calderón, director of Plan […]
"Respect for freedom of expression is one of the key demands for the finalists of Ecuador’s 2025 second electoral round, Daniel Noboa and Luisa González, who faced off in a presidential debate on March 23. Ecuadorian journalists, in an open letter, have emphasized the need to understand the candidates’ stance on this fundamental issue as […]
In a statement released Wednesday, March 5, the Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) expressed concern over the situation for journalists in Ecuador following a visit to the country in January 2025. The office identified serious threats, particularly from organized crime, and issued several […]
“Journalist Patricio Aguilar, director of the newspaper ‘El Libertador’ in Esmeraldas, was shot dead this Tuesday, March 4, as reported by Fundamedios (Andean Foundation for Media Observation and Study). The crime occurred around 5:00 p.m. inside a home, after a man contacted him under the pretext of carrying out journalistic coverage. […] The communicator was […]
A video captured the moment when a taxi driver, without no apparent provocation, accelerated his vehicle toward journalist Belén Goncalves of Ecuavisa as she was preparing to report live on air about flooding in the Guayas province of Ecuador. Goncalves told Fundamedios that before the incident, another driver passed near her team, shouting politically charged […]
"Xavier Lasso, a national assembly member from the Citizens’ Revolution party, said in an interview that his legislative agenda includes reintroducing a new Communication Law 'with the experience we already have.' He spoke on the program Ingobernables on February 13, 2025. His statements add to previous comments by Citizens’ Revolution presidential candidate Luisa González, who […]
The free speech advocacy organization Fundamedios documented more than 10 cases of journalists facing obstacles to reporting on Ecuador’s presidential election on February 9. Restrictions included being prevented from filming inside polling stations, according to their records. At least three journalists were removed from the premises and forced to delete footage. In other cases, electoral […]
“As Ecuador’s presidential election campaign enters its final stretch ahead of the vote on Feb. 9, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) urges all candidates to make enforcing journalists’ safety a chief goal. At least 19 journalists have been forced into exile in the past two years, a sign that the country’s deepening security crisis is pushing […]
“Journalist Yixon Ordóñez, from the outlet Novedades Sucumbíos, was detained by the national police the night of Jan. 12 after being accused of violating the curfew. Ordóñez spent 16 hours in custody before a judge issued his release order. A decree signed by President Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency and curfew in various […]
"Ensuring a safe environment for journalists remains a critical challenge for Latin America's democracies. Since 2000, at least 338 journalists have been killed in the region, highlighting the urgent need for protection mechanisms to counter systemic violence. In a new report, Reporters Without Borders (RSF, for its initials in French) analyzed journalist protection programs in […]
“Ecuadoran journalist Leonardo Rivas, news director of the digital radio station Cariñosa, was murdered on Saturday [Nov. 23] in an attack attributed to hitmen in the province of Guayas, one of the most affected by the insecurity crisis in Ecuador. The radio station confirmed the tragic event on its Facebook account, saying that Rivas was […]