Press Freedom
CPJ Updates
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Reporter Without Borders
OPC Calls on Correa to End “Bizarre” Campaign Against Ecuador’s Media
Note: Ecuadorian government’s reply, March 22, 2011, PDF is at the bottom of this page
H.E. Rafael Correa Delgado
Constitutional President
Palacio de Carondelet
Quito
Republic of Ecuador
Fax: (011.593.2) 58.07.35
Your Excellency:
The Overseas Press Club of America is a New York-based organization that seeks to protect the free speech rights of journalists around the world. And we are watching with alarm as your government continues its campaign to suppress criticism of its actions and policies by requiring broadcast outlets to interrupt their news programs and broadcast official rebuttals to such commentary.
This campaign, Your Excellency, is a gross violation of the right of our Ecuadoran colleagues’ right to freely comment on government actions. Furthermore, it appears to be an attempt to intimidate your critics into silence.
We have no doubt that your government, like every government, has ample opportunity to make its policies known to the public without forcing its way onto the air in this, frankly, bizarre manner.
We request, on behalf of our colleagues in the Ecuadorean media, that you bring this undemocratic campaign to a stop, and instead support and encourage the free exchange of ideas in the best democratic traditions of Ecuador.
Respectfully yours,
Michael S. Serrill
Kevin McDermott
Freedom of the Press Committee
cc:
El Universo
politica@eluniverso.com
H.E. Luis Benigno Gallegos Chiriboga
Ambassador of Ecuador to the U.S.A.
Embassy of the Republic of Ecuador
2535 Fifteenth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20009
Fax: (202) 667.3482
Ambassador María Fernanda Espinosa
Permanent Representative
Permanent Mission of the Republic of Ecuador
to the United Nations
866 United Nations Plaza
New York, NY 10017
Fax: (212) 935.1835
H.E. Heather Hodges
U.S. Ambassador to Ecuador
Embassy of the United States of America
Av. Avigiras E12-170 y Av. Aloy Alfaro
Quito
Ecuador
H.E. Jorge Glass
Ministro de Telecomunicaciones e Información
Palacio de Carondelet
Quito
Republic of Ecuador
H.E. Raúl Vallejo Corral
Ministro de Educación
Palacio de Carondelet
Quito
Republic of Ecuador
Sr. Arturo Aguirre
Teleamazonas
afera@hotmail.com
Sr. Jaime Mantilla A.
Director
Hoy
jaime@hoy.com.ec