Ecuador: While international pressure helped save an opposition newspaper, free speech and democracy are still at risk.

Beyond these problems, Ecuador is also beset with rising drug violence. That is partly a result of geography: Its location between Colombia and Peru makes it a major transit point for South American drug trafficking. According to the Los Angeles Times, roughly one-fourth of the annual cocaine output in the two neighboring countries ultimately moves through Ecuador. Last month, Ecuadorean police arrested a prominent trafficker with ties to gangs in both Colombia and Mexico. Elyssa Pachico, an expert on criminal activity in Latin America, fears that organized crime “may yet turn into a national crisis” if authorities don’t respond adequately. Unfortunately, it is unclear how much Ecuadoreans can trust their president when it comes to drug-trafficking outfits. In May 2011, the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies published a report accusing Correa of soliciting financing………. Read Article