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Ecuador: Number of complaints lodged by govt against media, journalists increases in 2015

Ecuador : Number of complaints/attacks on journalists/media increases in 2015.

abc.es reported during 2015 377 Correa government’s actions were recorded against journalists and media, 123 more than in 2014
The government of Rafael Correa increased the attacks on freedom of expression in 2015, making the Andean Foundation for Social and Media Studies Remark (Fundamedios) consideraa last year was “the worst” for freedom of expression Ecuador.
In 2015 there were 377 government actions against journalists and media, 123 more than recorded in 2014, which accounted for 254. There were 34 “physical aggression”, some as a result of the repression during the protests in recent months and persecution of bloggers and even tweeters and censorship of Internet content through the Spanish company Ares Rights. Fundamedios keeps track of assaults since 2008. With respect to 2015, states that the imposition of content including disqualifying chains replicas and is the second largest assault, with 57 cases.

SPEAK SPANISH LIKE AN ECUADORIAN – READ THE BOOK – SPANISH SLANG ECUADOR

Correa, who came to power on January 15, 2007, never hid his desire to control the media. One of their strategies was to delegitimize the work of journalists. Saturday after Saturday, the television program “link citizen”, which reports its weekly working time, the president repeated the mantra: “corrupt press, corrupt press.” I
The Communication Act of Ecuador is considered by the Inter-American Press Society (SIP) as the “most restrictive of the Hemisphere.” For the executive director of the Association of Newspaper Publishers, Diego Cornejo, “it is a legal body which aims to make the right to communicate on a subject to administrative controls of the State public service. A law that promotes censorship and self-censorship, which has created a virtual special court, the Superintendency of Information and Communication (Supercom). ” Read Article

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Report: Lack of Cooperation between U.S./Mexican authorities to combat illegal arms smuggling

Theguardian.com reported efforts to combat illegal gunrunning from the United States to Mexico have stumbled in recent years, hampered by a lack of cooperation between US and Mexican officials, according to a report from a US federal watchdog agency obtained by Reuters. Blood, mud and lube: how El Chapo’s luck came up short in small […]

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U.S. to expand refugee program for thousands fleeing violence in Central America

US to expand refugee admissions for Central Americans fleeing violence Theguardian.com reported John Kerry announces new effort to offer migrants ‘safe and legal alternative to dangerous journey’ in which they face threat of human smugglers. The US is to expand its refugee programme to help thousands of people fleeing violence in Central America avoid a […]

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Ecuador: Leftist Political Party to ally itself with Right Wing Groups

tELESURTV.NET reported Pachakutik, which self-identifies as a leftist political party, is set to join an alliance of right-wing parties. Ecuador’s Pachakutik political party is set to join a right-wing political coalition, the prefect of the province of Azuay, Paul Carrasco, announced Monday on local radio. Carrasco coordinates an informal right-wing coalition with the mayors of […]

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Venezuela: President places limits on power of national Assembly over Central Bank

bbc.com reported Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has limited the National Assembly’s powers over the Central Bank. President Maduro approved the changes on Wednesday, but it only became public on Monday. The president will now no longer need legislative approval to hire and fire Central Bank directors. The change was announced shortly before a new assembly, […]

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Temixco, Mexico: Mayor murdered within 24 hours of being sworn in

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Venezuela: Members of Socialist Party Dispute Election results

bbc.com reported Members of Venezuela’s Socialist party are disputing the election of eight opposition candidates in legislative elections held on 6 December. The opposition won a two-thirds majority which enables it to challenge socialist President Nicolas Maduro. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court said some losing candidates had filed challenges but it did not specify the […]

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Loja Ecuador: Television Station’s Equipment Seized by National Police, off the air

Police in Ecuador seize TV station’s equipment, leaving it off the air IFEX Wednesday 30th December, 2015 This statement was originally published on fundamedios.org on 16 December 2015. In the early morning of December 16 2015, Ecotel TV Station of the city of Loja – located on the southern border of the country – reported […]

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Battle over Antartica

nytimes.com reported on a glacier-filled island with fjords and elephant seals, Russia has built Antarctica’s first Orthodox church on a hill overlooking its research base, transporting the logs all the way from Siberia. Less than an hour away by snowmobile, Chinese laborers have updated the Great Wall Station, a linchpin in China’s plan to operate […]

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Mexico: Senate approves law giving foreigners right to hearing before deportation

eleconomista.com.mx repoted the Senate approved the creation of the right to a hearing for foreigners who are subject to deportation for participating in political affairs who are prohibited, exercise by itself or by proxy some of the rights of Mexican citizens or violate the principles of the Republic. With 78 votes in favor, four against […]

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Ecuador: law proposal allows circumvention of DRM protected works for fair use

DRM – Digital Rights Management – Copyright issues techdirt.com reported eighteen months ago, Mike wrote about the DMCA being abused to censor stories in an Ecuadorian newspaper that someone in the government there apparently didn’t want out in the open. But Boing Boing points us to a post by Andrés Delgado from a few weeks […]

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Phenomenon of Criminalisation of Social Protest in Ecuador

FIDH.org reported… and its member organisations in Ecuador, CEDHU and INREDH present and publish today a report (in spanish) analysing the phenomenon of criminalisation of social protest in Ecuador and urge the State to recognise the importance of freedom of speech and the legitimacy of peaceful denunciation, opposition and monitoring of extraction projects or land […]

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Ecuador: Ruling Party to Reintroduce wealth redistribution legislation, after postponement

morningstaronline.co.uk reported ECUADOR’S ruling Pais Alliance will reintroduce wealth redistribution legislation which was postponed this year in the face of opposition protests. President Rafael Correa announced on Tuesday that the two Bills to increase inheritance and capital gains taxes for the rich would come before the National Assembly in the next few months. “It is […]

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Ecuador: Opposition Group Rejects Approved Constitutional Amendments

telesurtv.net reported an opposition group in Ecuador on Thursay reiterated their rejection of the country’s recently approved constitutional amendments and vowed to submit a complaint challenging the reforms as unconstitutional as the next step of their protest. The group says it is collecting signatures to push for a referendum on whether to accept the package […]

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Venezuela: Opposition vows to revive OPEC nation

reuters.com reported Venezuela’s opposition vowed on Monday to revive the OPEC nation’s troubled economy and free jailed political activists after winning control of the legislature for the first time in 16 years of Socialist rule. By afternoon, some results from Sunday’s election were not yet in, but the Democratic Unity coalition had already won a […]

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Ecuador: New law if passed would allow govt to confiscate properties deemed unproductive

expreso.ec reported Ecuador Government to confiscate properties it considers unproductive The seizures are. They are confirmed in the draft Land Law, which go to the second and final debate in the plenary of the National Assembly. That land runs to the government deems abandoned or poorly maintained, ie, non-productive and not fulfilling a supposed social […]

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Street Demonstrations Erupt in Ecuador: Presidential Term Limits abolished from 2021

theguardian.com reported that street demonstrations erupt as National Assembly passes constitutional amendment that paves way for Rafael Correa to be re-elected indefinitely Ecuador’s National Assembly voted on Thursday to pass a constitutional amendment abolishing presidential term limits from 2021 onwards. A few blocks from the building police clashed with demonstrators who see it as an […]

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Ecuador: Despite ban of bullfighting in certain areas, the tradition continues

newsnetnebraska.org reported Corridas de Toros, or bullfighting, came to Ecuador with the Spanish more than 400 years ago. Since then the tradition has been ingrained into the culture of Ecuador. In 1822 after the Battle of Pichincha, the definite victory over the Spanish rule was celebrated with eight days of bullfights. “The festival was so […]

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Constitutional Reforms are End of Democracy in Ecuador (Opinion)

panampost.com/María Aguilar wrote in Ecuador, the ruling PAIS Alliance is about to pass 16 amendments to reform the constitution. Their aim is to adapt it to the new conditions that President Rafael Correa demands for his personal project, putting one person’s interests over the country’s general welfare. It turns out that the current Constitution, which […]

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Quito Ecuador: Injuries, arrests, violent clashes outside national assembly

TENSE SITUTION AFTER APPROVAL OF CONSTITUTIONAL AMMENDMENTS teleamazonas.com reported….The National Assembly, which became the stage of the adoption of constitutional amendments the government.That process was not without strong protests, clashes, injuries and arrests, carried out by those opposed to the amendments and the National Police. Read Article THINKING OF MOVING TO ECUADOR – READ THIS […]

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Deported Activist Attempting to Return to Ecuador

panampost.com/Rebeca Morla reported Manuela Picq is a Franco-Brazilian journalist and human-rights activist who, after being arrested in Ecuador last August while taking part in demonstrations against President Rafael Correa, was then deported to Brazil. She is still not allowed to return to Ecuador, where she lived for more than eight years and married Carlos Pérez […]

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Is there a future for Ecuador beyond President Rafael Correa?

ROGER F NORIEGA Since taking office as a maverick outsider nearly nine years ago, Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa has transformed the country by centralizing economic and political power under his authority and suppressing potential opponents in the private sector, media, and civil society. He has implemented a costly populist agenda, which has bolstered his popularity—initially […]

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Blueprint to fix economy as Ecuador prepares for a future without Correa

A DEEPER INSIGHT INTO THE CULTURE OF ECUADOR – READ THIS BOOK latinvex.com/Analytica report: Credible media reports say that president Rafael Correa, conscious of the depth of the recession, would prefer not to have to deal with it under his leadership – hence his announcement not to run in 2017. So do some of his […]

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Pres of Bolivia reveals Rafael Correa not to run again in Ecuador due to family issues

eluniverso.com reported Bolivian President Evo Morales said Wednesday that his Ecuadorian counterpart Rafael Correa confessed he will not go for re-election for family reasons and that the ruling party, is shaping up to postulating the former vice president Lenin Moreno. Morales said at a press conference in La Paz, Correa asked the revelation during a […]

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Ecuador: If not Correa, who?

telesurtv.net …. Yet if not Correa, then who? There’s the rub. Anti-Correa sentiment is certainly concerted, but save for the likes of right-wing, businessman Guillermo Lasso, who fell well short at the 2013 presidential election, there is no obvious contender. Leonardo suggests that there needs to be a confluence of the left and the right […]

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Clinton Foundation’s Colombia based investment company’s website goes black

freebeacon.com reported, the Clinton Foundation’s Colombia-based investment company was not registered as a private equity fund in the country, which may have allowed it to avoid certain industry regulations and oversight from the Colombian government. Although Fondo Acceso described itself as a “Private Equity Fund” in company promotional materials and business presentations, it is not […]

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Argentina: NEW PRESIDENT

usatoday.com reported… Argentina’s next president decided to pursue a career in politics under the most harrowing of circumstances: 24 years ago, he was kidnapped for nearly two weeks and released only after his family — among the nation’s wealthiest — paid the kidnappers a reported $2.5 million ransom. Mauricio Macri entered politics about a decade […]

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Ecuador: Half the Population Believes that govt acts on behalf of all citizens

Guillaume Long/Opendemocracy.net wrote / Guillaume Long is the president of the international commission of the governing Alianza PAIS party in Ecuador and the minister for culture. His twitter page is @GuillaumeLong This latest wave of conservative euphoria in the face of Latin America’s economic travails is just the most recent chapter in an ongoing campaign […]

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Quito Ecuador: Correa supporters rally in face of renewed opposition protests

telesurtv.net reported that thousands of supporters of President Rafael Correa rallied in central Quito Wednesday in the face of renewed opposition protests. “Correa has done so many things for our country. So many things,” Correa supporter Rosa Chiquimarea told teleSUR English. Amid crowds clad in the lime green of Correa’s PAIS party, Chiquimarea said the […]

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Ecuador: Another shuffle of the President’s cabinet

oct. 16 in.reuters.com reported on Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa said on Friday he had accepted the resignations of three ministers as part of a cabinet shuffle that comes at a time when the Andean oil exporter is struggling with low oil prices. Correa said Production Minister Nathalie Cely, who had helped the leftist government improve […]

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Ecuador: NGO warns over 300 radio, tv stations could disappear overnight

panampost.com/ Belén Marty – Over 300 radio and TV stations in Ecuador could disappear overnight, according to a warning issued by Ecuadorian NGO Fundamedios on Wednesday, October 21. The Agency for Regulation and Control of Telecommunications (Arcotel) is currently reviewing hundreds of network licenses, and claims that the government agency that originally issued them was […]

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Ecuador, administration has history of justifying any behavior, even if illegal – opinion piece

Opinion – María Aguilar – PANAMPOST – Ecuadorians by now understand full well how the Rafael Correa administration will justify any behavior, even if illegal, if it serves the interests of the “Citizen Revolution.” One of the most telling examples is the case of Pedro Delgado, Correa’s cousin, who became the director of Ecuador’s Central […]

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Latin America’s New Class of Dictators Have Hijacked Democracy

Carlos Sabino – opinion- panampost.com – With the complete restoration of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States, we have returned to a time when Latin American dictatorships are tolerated, even accepted, as long as they meet certain requirements. These 21st-century dictators have grown stronger, and democratic leaders around the world rush to embrace […]

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Ecuador: Leaked Documents reveal President used public funds to delete critical online content of him

Ecuador’s President Used Millions Of Dollars Of Public Funds To Censor Critical Online Videos buzzfeed.com reported Exclusive: BuzzFeed News has seen leaked documents that reveal Rafael Correa used the intelligence budget to delete content critical of him and the first lady from YouTube, Facebook, and other sites. The president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, used millions […]

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Ecuador Consul in UK “NGOs have nothing to fear”

theguardian.com/Fidel Narváez (Opinion) There are more than 46,000 social organisations registered and operating in Ecuador under new legislation, engaged in all sorts of activities; many of them scrutinise the government, and many are in plain opposition to it. Many of them have foreign financing. Not one, however, has been closed down or harassed for political […]

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Ecuador: Reforms on inheritance draft to be submitted to Assembly

ANDES.info.ec reported… Reforms on the inheritance draft bill will be submitted to the National Assembly in the following days. Quito, Sept 15 (Andes).- The Executive will send to the National Assembly many reforms on the inheritances draft bill in the next days with the aim of fighting “evasion” mechanism, Pabel Muñoz, national secretary of planning […]

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Ecuador: President Correa asks supporters of democracy to speak out against violent minorities

telesurtv.net reported Rafael Correa called on “democracy supporters” from all political orientations to resist violent political actions. “This week, the same people as usual, will be back with their meetings, marches and strikes. This is their way of life, while we are working hard, for the love of our country,” – Rafael Correa. President Rafael […]

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U.S. expresses concern over increasing restrictions on freedom of expression in Ecuador

abcnews.go.com reported the U.S. State Department is expressing concern about what it calls increasing restrictions on freedom of expression and association in Ecuador. The statement also called on Correa’s government to uphold its international commitments to respect free expression and association as fundamental democratic rights. Correa issued a decree last month related to renewed activity […]

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Ecuador: Government begins action to shut down press freedom group

abcnews.go.com/AP reported President Rafael Correa’s government has initiated proceedings to shut down Ecuador’s sole remaining press freedom group, accusing Fundamedios of political partisanship. The watchdog group was notified Tuesday in a letter from the Communications Secretariat, director Cesar Ricuarte said Wednesday. The letter accused Fundamedios of publishing essays and tweets “of indisputably political bent” but […]

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Ecuador uses straitjackets to confine democratic argument (Opinion)

theguardian.com/Nick Cohen wrote: Regimes from Belarus to Ecuador, from Venezuela to Turkey, know that, if they can frighten that someone, and deter others from thinking they should imitate that someone, the torrent will vanish like water down a sinkhole. ……. I am not attempting an ideological assault on Latin American socialism, although I will note […]

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Ecuador: President Correa blasts international media for allegedly publishing lies

telesurtv.net reported Correa called on people to defend Ecuador from Western “campaign to discredit the country” via social media. Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa blasted international media, including the Guardian, the Economist and Le Monde for allegedly publishing “lies” on the recent opposition protests that hit the country mid-August. The president told The Economist via Twitter […]

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Fired Jounalist discusses strange connection between volcanoes and political crises in Ecuador

MARTIN PALLARESSEPT. 1, 2015 / Opinion published in New York Times There is a strange connection between volcanoes and political crises in Ecuador: They seem to erupt together. According to Pedro Cieza de León, who chronicled the Spanish conquistadors’ arrival in the Incan Empire, when Pedro de Alvarado entered the land that is now Ecuador […]

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Ecuador: Groups demand progressive changes (Opinion)

Ecuador: Widespread Protests from Left and Indigenous Sectors Demand Progressive Changes Carlos Zorilla reported the largest protests – and by far the longest-lasting – against Rafael Correa’s government have been raging all over Ecuador since August 13th, when hundreds of thousands of people in a national strike called by the Indigenous People’s organizations and Labor […]

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Ecuador: Drop in oil price, forces govt to find $800 million in cuts of non-essential projects

telesurtv.net reported a drop in the price of oil has forced the Ecuadorean government to find US$800 million in savings from “non-essential” works and projects. A US$800 million cut to Ecuador’s national budget will not touch government social programs or decentralized governments, Finance Minister Fausto Herrera has confirmed. Speaking on Saturday, on Citizen’s Link, Ecuador’s […]

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Ecuador: Indigenous and Right Wing groups to continue protests against President

An Indigenous assembly and march have been called for Friday. telesurtv.net reported after this past week of demonstrations, where over 116 police officers and members of the armed forces were injured and at least 60 people detained, some Indigenous groups aligned with right-wing movements have vowed to continue their protests and strike against the government […]

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Ecuador: Public Sector Bloated from 35 % to 44% of GDP During Correa’s tenure (Opinion)

panamapost.com/Oswaldo Toscano – The Ecuadorian government has circumvented civil society and placed all planning in the hands of a political elite. The ruling party‘s socialist plan couldn’t have unfolded under more favorable conditions. A second boom in oil prices allowed the Ecuadorian government to roll out a model based on insatiable state spending and interventionism. […]

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Ecuador: What will occur in Ecuador? the date is December 2015 (Opinion)

jornada.unam.mx /(Opinion) Joan Martínez Alier professor of economics and economics history at Autonomous University of Barcelona wrote in an opinion piece… The Correa government is heading down a path of repression. To sample the August 13 police arrested, mistreated and announced the deportation of Manuela Picq, Brazilian journalist and partner of Carlos Pérez, leader of […]

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Ecuador: Protesters Clash With Authorities, five police reported injured

caracol.com.co reported there were clashes with protesters in the south of the country by blocking roads and government supporters in Quito focus on Carondelet. At least five policemen have been slightly injured after a clash with protesters blocking a road in southern Ecuador, Azuay area, this part of the anti-government protests that advance indigenous and […]

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Ecuador’s Progress (Opinion)

To the Editor: FRANCISCO BORJA CEVALLOS Ambassador of Ecuador Washington Ecuador’s foreign and domestic policies are guided by our national values and interests, not games. That is how we reached all of our Millennium Development Goals and from 2007 to 2015, reduced poverty to 25.5 percent from 37.6 percent; extreme poverty to 8.6 percent from […]

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Ecuador: NGO Responds to President Correa’s Accusations of Political Bias

panampost.com reported On July 21, Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a report regarding unjustified delays in Ecuadorian courts, particularly related to appeals made by protesters convicted for participating in anti-government demonstrations. According to HRW, Ecuador’s most recent penal code, adopted in 2014, clarifies the ambiguous definitions that the crimes of “terrorism” and “sabotage” had under […]

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Ecuador: Appeals for those facing jail terms in anti-govt protests, stalled according to HRW

hrw.org reported people facing jail terms in Ecuador for participating in anti-government protests can appeal under a new law, but the courts have repeatedly stalled on hearing their cases. The convictions are based on overly broad definitions of crimes that are no longer applicable to these cases, but courts have delayed scheduling appeals in cases […]

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Ecuador: The processes and mechanisms of governmental control over civil society

Andrés Ortiz Lemos Taking Control of the Public Sphere by Manipulating Civil Society: The Citizen Revolution in Ecuador Abstract: By taking advantage of the core discourses of the main social movements, Rafael Correa Delgado was elected president of Ecuador in 2006. Promising a ‘citizen revolution’, the President designed and engaged heavy institutional machinery that disciplined […]

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Ecuador: Beyond the Petrostate: Ecuador’s Left Dilemma (Opinion)

Thea Riofrancos wrote: Oil revenues have been the cornerstone of the Ecuadorian economy since the 1970s, and continue to account for over half of the country’s exports. Until the recent drop in oil prices, Correa benefited more from oil price increases than any prior administration since democratization. In Ecuador, the so-called “re-primarization” of the economy—a […]

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Ecuador: Columnist must pay in lawsuit filed by the President for critical articles published

panampost.com reported when Ecuadorian psychiatrist and columnist Miguel Palacios Frugone published articles that criticized President Rafael Correa, he likely never imagined the price he would have to pay. A judge has ruled, as of July 23, that Palacios must compensate Correa with US$46,000 for alleged “moral damage.” Palacios originally filed a 2010 lawsuit against the […]

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Ecuador: President Correa warns opposition trying to undermine govt.

telesurtv.net reported – A coalition of opposition groups is seeking to reverse progressive tax proposals. Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa accused those of organising coming national strikes and demonstrations of seeking to undermine his administration. “The right just as well as left-wing opposition groups use political demonstrations to antagonize the government with the aim of undermining […]

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Sovereignty in Ecuador: Serious Business (Opinion)

Case of Ecuador. counterpucnch.org/Carmelo Ruiz …. A very dramatic and educational case of how Ecuadorian sovereignty has been stepped on and infringed upon is the story of Philip Agee. A US citizen, Agee was an agent of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the 1960s. He worked for the Agency in Ecuador, then in Uruguay […]

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Ecuador: IHS JANE’s 360, Risk of political violence increases, coup remains unlikely

Risk of political violence in Ecuador rises from low to moderate, coup remains unlikely JANES.COM/Arthur Dhont reported at around midnight on Monday (13 July) a small improvised explosive device (IED) was detonated outside the local headquarters of Ecuador’s ruling Country Alliance (Alianza País: AP) party in the city of Guayaquil. The incident comes amid rising […]

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Ecuador: One Day National Strike planned in August

IBTIMES.COM reported labor unions and social groups in Ecuador are planning a one-day national strike to launch another blow against President Rafael Correa, who is still grappling with mass outrage over a slate of tax proposals. Correa has accused opposition factions of fomenting a “soft coup” against his government. Unions and social and indigenous groups […]

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Ecuador: Leaked Documents show government is on client list of Hacking Team

panampost.com/Rebeca Morla reported on Sunday, July 5, hackers infiltrated the Italian information-technology company Hacking Team (HT), which sells offensive intrusion and surveillance software to government clients all over the world. The data breach revealed 400 gigabytes worth of company documents, emails, and invoices — many of them billed to Latin-American governments, including Ecuador. According to […]

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Ecuador: Yasunidos subject of government intelligence (Analysis)

Ecuadorreview.com/Plan V – Original text in Spanish: Plan V Analysis – Certain examples demonstrate the far reaching capacity of a State which uses its intelligence apparatus for purposes other than those for which it was designed. One such example is the monitoring by the Ecuadorian Government of citizens’ organizations such as the environmental collective Yasunídos, […]

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Ecuador: Tensions Between Government and Opposition threaten democracy

globalvoicesonline.org/Milton Ramirez wrote: Despite Ecuador having received praise for reducing poverty over the last years the South American country is currently facing a challenge to meet its fiscal budget as a result of the rut in global prices for its key oil export. As politicians wrangle over finances, a wave of internet-to-street protests have been […]

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Ecuador: Libertarian Movement offers alternatives, wants dialogue with President Correa

panamppost.com/Rebeca Morla reported Wipe out tariffs to promote trade, submit indefinite presidential reelection to a referendum, revoke the Media Law, and start a direct dialogue with President Rafael Correa. These are but a few of the proposals announced on July 1 by Ecuador’s Libertarian Movement, a free-market group organized in 2005 by “Ecuadorians worried about […]

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Quito Ecuador: Drone flying above protesters (June 10-15) (video)

LIVELEAK.COM – Thousands of anti-government protesters demonstrated in Quito on June 10 for the second time in a week. Protesters demonstrating against President Rafael Correa’s proposed changes to inheritance tax laws wore black and shouted slogans such as “Out Correa, out!” Considerably outnumbered rival protesters, supporters of the ruling PAIS Alliance party, called for Correa’s […]

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Ecuador: During Protests internet services heavily used, service problems

globalvoicesonline.org reported: During the demonstrations, at least during those in Quito and Guayaquil, problems were evident with mobile Internet services supplied by private service providers. People noticed the problem and came up with explanations ranging from network saturation due to the massive volume of users, to the use of signal jammers, which are illegal under […]

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Ecuador: The minister in charge of buen vivir (good living)

fastcoexist.com reported in Ecuador, the man in charge of buen vivir is a former TV journalist named Freddy Ehlers. Sixty-nine-years-old, Ehlers heads his own happiness ministry, a department of 30-odd people, and enjoys direct access to President Rafael Correa. “He asked me to coordinate with all the government to see if our actions are really […]

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Ecuador: President Correa Promises U.S. dollar to remain currency

INFOBAE.COM reported Rafael Correa promised that while he is in power, this scheme will remain in E cuador , who took more than ten years ago after one of the worst financial crises in its history. “They all say again, as I am president, dollarization will continue. Enough of so many irresponsible rumors” Correa said, […]

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Guayaquil: Mayor tells crowd Ecuador is in a class war, following Venezuela

EURONEWS.COM REPORTED, In Guayaquil, the city’s mayor told the crowd that Ecuador is going through a difficult time, both politically and ideologically. Describing the situation as a “class war”, Jaime Nebot accused the government of dividing the country, following the same path as the government of Venezuela. Read Article THINKING OF MOVING TO ECUADOR – […]

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Guayaquil Ecuador: Thousands Protest against policies of President Correa

WSJ.com/Mercedes Alvaro reported Thousands of protesters on Thursday took to the streets of Ecuador’s largest city, Guayaquil, to protest against the policies of President Rafael Correa, especially new tax proposals.The Guayaquil demonstrations, led by Mayor Jaime Nebot, were part of the third week of protests against Mr. Correa’s government. On Thursday mass protests also took […]

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Ecuador: Poll reports 7.5% in a pool of students feel safe expressing their thoughts on the government

GringoTree.com/Carolina Salazar (opinion) “No man is good enough to govern another man without the other’s consent” — Abraham Lincoln. Freedom of expression is closely linked to the rights to freedom of conscience, freedom of assembly, right to individual or collective property, right to protection against arbitrary interference on private life, and several others. Having said […]

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Ecuador: Students Accused of Sabotage in protests, Face Prison Time

panampost.com/Rebeca Morla reported students of the traditional Mejía Institute in Quito, Ecuador, have joined the nationwide protests against the government of President Rafael Correa that have gained momentum over the last two weeks. Three of those young protesters, however, have been accused of “sabotage,” and face up to seven years in jail if convicted. During […]

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According to Report Ecuador behind some protests against Chevron in U.S.

HOTAIR.COM/Jazz Shaw wrote as you may recall, over the course of Ecuador’s attempted Chevron Shakedown, there have been sporadic protests in the streets wherever and whenever court actions were taking place. This included the hearings at the International Arbitration Tribunal, where people who were ostensibly environmental activists and “Friends of the Rain Forests” showed up […]

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Maduro from Venezuela calls for meetings with CELAC members to discuss coup plots in Ecuador

telesurtv.net reported President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela called upon the other member countries to show solidarity with Ecuador’s elected government. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro called for an urgent meeting of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) to discuss tensions and possible coup plots against the government of Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa. “It’s […]

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Ecuador: Interior Minister Denounces attacks during demonstrations in Quito

Diego Bravo/elcomercio.com reported The messages were broadcast on Twitter. In these, the Interior Minister José Serrano, reported that there were attacks on demonstrators supporting President Rafael Correa. “Urgent, disconnect conspirators ECU 911 cameras, helmet stolen police and brutally assaulted” the officer wrote in his Twitter account. Another message: “Listen up with hooded conspirators beside minutes […]

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Galapagos Islands Ecuador: Protesters take over San Cristobal runway at airport

Ecuadorinmediato.com reported that on Monday June 8, 2015, citizens gathered in the Galapagos Islands to demonstrate against measures from the national government of Ecuador. 250 members of President Correa’s political party Alianza PAIS disagreeing with measures taken by the government, burned flags and t=shirts. They also renounced their membership of the ruling party and threatened […]

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Ecuador: Protests pro and against Correa take to the streets

Protests for and against the regime take to the streets Quito eluniverso.com reported concentrations for and against the government in the afternoon and last night there were around Tribune Shiri (in the north). The first to arrive were supporters of Alianza PAIS before 17:00, who took to the steps of the Tribune Shiri waving flags […]

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Ecuador: Government power is taking over editorial lines and news content says newspaper editor

“Government power is taking over editorial lines and news content. I hope we’ll be able to take this one step back at some point in the future,” Luis Eduardo Vivanco concluded/ Judge Confirms US$3,500 Bill for La Hora’s No-Show at Mayoral Event Judge stated: “Judge Román ruled that Supercom’s decision does not infringe the right […]

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Ecuador: With lower oil prices, taxation now accounts for more than 50 percent of income

telesurtv.net reported in his annual address to the nation Sunday, President Rafael Correa lauded the achievements and advances for workers during the previous year’s administration despite the massive drop in oil prices. In response to the fall in the international price of oil – an important source of income for Ecuador – the government implemented […]

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Ecuador is regional leader for gender equity in politics

telesurtv.net – The South American country is a regional leader for gender equity in politics. Ecuadorean lawmakers ratified Thursday three women to head up the country’s National Assembly, including Gabriela Rivadeneira from the leftist PAIS Alliance as President of the legislative body. “We seek to strengthen the public, and the capacity to decide our own […]

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Ecuador: Opposition request OAS to freeze efforts of govt. to change constitution

telesurtv.net reported – Unsatisfied with a decision from the country’s high court, politicians are asking the IACHR to freeze the ongoing process to amend the constitution. Politicians opposed to the government of Ecuadorean president Rafael Correa visited the offices of the Organization of American States (OAS) Tuesday to request that they freeze efforts by the […]

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Ecuador: SECOM Releases vidoe of incident with President Correa and Student

Video released by the Secom about the incident with President Correa ELCOMERCIO.COM

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Ecuador: President states on Twitter account accusation by young person, a lie

Rafael CorreaVerified account ‏@MashiRafael Que he “agarrado del pecho” a chico que hizo gestos obscenos y he “derramado lágrimas” de iras. ¡A qué nivel han llegado! TODO es mentira. MACHINE TRANSLATION – I “catch chest” a guy who made obscene gestures and he “shed tears” of anger. At what level have arrived! Everything is a […]

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Ecuador: Youth age 17, sanctioned for displaying obscene signs at the president

infobae.com reported according to Luis Calderon, the incident with the president of Ecuador , Rafael Correa , he took place in Quito when passing caravan leader and adolescent beckoned: down thumbs and the right forearm with the left hand was taken, a gesture commonly known as “yuca” in the country and considered obscene. According to […]

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Tens of thousands march in Ecuador

Quito (AFP) – Tens of thousands of Ecuadorans, including President Rafael Correa, his supporters and anti-government protesters turned out Friday for May Day rallies across a handful of cities. Correa, a leftist and economist by training who has been in power since 2007, walked arm-in-arm with ministers, assembly members and other officials to Quito’s central […]

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Ecuador: Critics or oponents of the government are apostles of the past (Opinion,Analysis)

José Hernández /Ecuadorreview.com reported… Who will put more people in the street on May 1? This is Rafael Correa’s latest challenge to his critics and opponents, but by no means the first of its kind. During his eight-year Presidential term, Correa has turned the public domain into an arena, where he aims to show that […]

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Ecuador: President says opposition deliberately trying to provoke problems

telesurtv.net reported Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa said the opposition is deliberately trying to provoke problems in the country by spreading rumors. Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa denounced efforts by the opposition in his country to copy the strategy of the opposition in Venezuela and try to destabilize his government and the country. “Let’s not fool ourselves, […]

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Ecuador commemorates ten years since ousting president

telesurtv.net reported Ecuador is commemorating 10 years since a successful citizen rebellion led to the overthrowing of former President Lucio Gutierrez. Ecuadoreans are marking 10 years since the ousting of a former president, which ushered in a period of deep social change. Former Col. Lucio Gutierrez himself had been one of the main actors in […]

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Ecuador: Poll says 49 percent of respondents don’t believe President Correa

lahora.com.ec reported that a poll conducted by Cedatos in March, 2015, revealed that for the first time during his tenure, President Rafael Correa is not believed by 49 percent of the respondents. 45 percent do believe Mr. Correa. Also, approval of the administration has dropped to 54 percent. The poll was conducted in 15 cities […]

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Alleged Threat on life of Rafael Correa, President of Ecuador

By alleged threat to President Correa an event is suspended in Tabacundo Quito eluniverso.com reported By altosparlantes it was announced that the popular lunch with President Rafael Correa in the Park Mayday Tabacundo (parish northeast of Quito) would not continue, at a time when some of the guests only reached to taste the soup. The […]

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Ecuador: President calls Obama’s actions contradictory

telesurtv.net reported, continuing tough legislation against Venezuela while normalizing relations with Cuba makes no sense, Rafael Correa said. The contradictory actions by U.S. President Barack Obama in Latin America are incoherent, Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa told teleSUR, in an exclusive interview. In the wake of the Summit of the Americas that took place Friday and […]

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Ecuador looking to improve tax regulation

telesurtv.net reported the government of Ecuador is looking to improve tax regulation and facilitate the cancellation of debt for businesses and individuals. With the objective of improving tax regulation and helping businesses and individuals cancel outstanding debt, the government of Ecuador is putting forward the “Organic Law of Interest Remission, Penalties and Surcharges on National […]

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President of Ecuador tweets “Heil Hitler” after former president calls him fascist

On 7:20 AM – 9 Apr 2015, Twitter account of Guillermo A. Cochez @willycochez reported that former Ecuadorian President Osvaldo Hurtado referred to President Rafael Correa as a typical Faschist.( Ex Presidente Osvaldo Hurtado explica en foro d @flibertad el xq régimen d @MashiRafael es típico fascista). LEARN THE SPANISH SLANG OF ECUADOR – READ […]

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Opinion: Rafael Correa seeking control of courts in Latin America

LATINO.FOXNEWS.COM/ Andrés Páez Benalcázar is a legislator in the National Assembly of Ecuador w wrote ….without question, the control of the Inter-American system is key for Correa’s regional ambitions. With Pazmiño’s faithful service and Sierra’s blessing, will he be able to do it through the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in Costa Rica? This is […]

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Opposition in Ecuador asks U.S. for sanctions against the country

telesurtv.net reported President Correa said he considered calls for sanctions against Ecuador to be an affront to the country’s sovereignty and dignity. An opposition supporter who recently emerged after a year in hiding as a fugitive from justice told a private media station Friday that he intended to go to Washington in order to have […]

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Ecuador: President Correa asserts U.S. trying to destablilize the government

newsmax.com reported Ecuador’s leftist President Rafael Correa on Saturday accused the United States of trying to destabilize his government, by infiltrating it with spies. The 51-year-old economist trained in the US has faced opposition protests as he seeks constitutional changes that would allow him to seek re-election next year to another four-year term. “There has […]

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Ecuador: National Protests Planned for March 19, 2015 by unions and NGO’s

WSJ.com/ Mercedes Alvaro / reported organizations representing indigenous people, workers unions and nongovernment organizations announced plans Friday for national demonstrations next week to protest President Rafael Correa’s policies. Analysts say the protests, planned for Thursday in Quito and several other cities in Ecuador, would be a measure of discontent against Mr. Correa, who has enjoyed […]

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Ecuador: New declassified CIA documents reveal former president may have been murdered

telesurtv.net reported newly revealed documents show that the Ecuadorean military was part of Operation Condor. After reviewing declassified CIA documents, the Ecuador’s Attorney General Galo Chiriboga revealed Wednesday that former Ecuadorean President Jaime Roldos could have been murdered, a theory that has surrounded the 34-year old case. President Roldos was the first democratically elected president […]

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ISIS threatens renowned cartoonist, newspaper in Ecuador

Rebeca Morla / Panampost reported Xavier Bonilla, the celebrated Ecuadorian cartoonist known as Bonil, and local newspaper El Universo have been warned that they are at risk of a jihadi attack, similar to the shooting that occurred in France against the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo and its staff members. Fundamedios, an NGO that advocates for […]

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Ecuador: Wikileaks cables demonstrates how U.S. tried to control politics, economics

greenleft.org reported Ecuador’s pro-US neoliberal president Lucio Gutierrez was ousted in 2005. Since then, relations between Ecuador and the United States have deteriorated, with the Andean nation’s increasing rejection of US hegemony. The government of Rafael Correa, first elected in 2006, has broken from the neoliberal doctrines Washington has imposed on Latin America. It has […]

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Ecuador: Rafael Correa warns of resurgence of right-wing forces in the region

telesurtv.net reported President Rafael Correa issued a statement warning of a resurgence of right-wing forces throughout the region. In his weekly presidential address Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa warned that a “resurgence of conservative sectors is occurring both nationally and internationally” in an attempt to undermine his administration and other progressive left-wing Latin American governments. “You […]

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Ecuador: Satirist ceases online presence after death threats

GONZALO SOLANO Associated Press/ An Ecuadorean satirist whose biting online political humor provoked the ire of President Rafael Correa announcing on Friday that he’s ceasing and desisting after receiving anonymous death threats. The man known as Crudo Ecuador directly addressed Correa on his website. “You won,” he said. “My family comes first and I don’t […]

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