Human Rights Watch: Ecuador Proposed Constitutional Provisions “Would Undermine Basic Rights

hrw.org reported..the National Assembly should modify provisions in its constitutional reform proposal to ensure that it respects Ecuador’s international human rights obligations, Human Rights Watch said today.

On June 26, 2014, the president of the National Assembly, a member of the government official party, submitted a proposal to the Constitutional Court that would revise 17 articles of the Ecuadorian Constitution. Among other concerns, the changes could limit citizens’ ability to challenge abusive state action. The proposal would grant the Armed Forces powers to participate in public security operations, would categorize “communications” as a “public service,” and would allow for reelection of a president for an unlimited number of terms.

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“The proposed reforms would make it easier for the government to impose arbitrary restrictions on the media and routinely use the military in public security operations, at the same time making it harder for citizens to file complaints about abuses,” said José Miguel Vivanco, Americas director at Human Rights Watch. “This troubling combination could leave victims of government abuses without access to an effective remedy. Read Article