Ecuador: Attacks on Freedom of Expression Increase

knightcenter.utexas.edu / Attacks on freedom of expression in Ecuador increase due to the application of the communications law, according to report
By Paola Nalvarte/TM

The main attacks on freedom of expression in Ecuador during 2016 were a result of the application of the controversial Organic Law of Communication, in force since 2013, according to the 2016 report from freedom of expression organization Fundamedios.

In total, the annual report from the Ecuadoran organization recorded 480 attacks on freedom of expression from Jan. 1 to Dec. 20, 2016. However, in terms of physical, verbal and legal aggressions, among others, 2015 is still the most violent year in that regard, according to Fundamedios, which recorded 499 attacks.

According to Fundamedios, the Organic Law of Communication has promoted, since its inception, a series of sanctions and attacks on the media and its workers. According to the report, with 168 cases in 2016, the media live “cornered for fear of more economic sanctions” that compromise stability and permanence.

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Previously, at the end of last year, the Special Rapporteurs for Freedom of Expression of the UN and the IACHR, David Kaye and Edison Lanza, respectively, jointly expressed their concern for the first time concerning the communications law. Read Article