

Currently released so far... 12478 / 251,287
Browse latest releases
2010/12/01
2010/12/02
2010/12/03
2010/12/04
2010/12/05
2010/12/06
2010/12/07
2010/12/08
2010/12/09
2010/12/10
2010/12/11
2010/12/12
2010/12/13
2010/12/14
2010/12/15
2010/12/16
2010/12/17
2010/12/18
2010/12/19
2010/12/20
2010/12/21
2010/12/22
2010/12/23
2010/12/24
2010/12/25
2010/12/26
2010/12/27
2010/12/28
2010/12/29
2010/12/30
2011/01/01
2011/01/02
2011/01/04
2011/01/05
2011/01/07
2011/01/09
2011/01/10
2011/01/11
2011/01/12
2011/01/13
2011/01/14
2011/01/15
2011/01/16
2011/01/17
2011/01/18
2011/01/19
2011/01/20
2011/01/21
2011/01/22
2011/01/23
2011/01/24
2011/01/25
2011/01/26
2011/01/27
2011/01/28
2011/01/29
2011/01/30
2011/01/31
2011/02/01
2011/02/02
2011/02/03
2011/02/04
2011/02/05
2011/02/06
2011/02/07
2011/02/08
2011/02/09
2011/02/10
2011/02/11
2011/02/12
2011/02/13
2011/02/14
2011/02/15
2011/02/16
2011/02/17
2011/02/18
2011/02/19
2011/02/20
2011/02/21
2011/02/22
2011/02/23
2011/02/24
2011/02/25
2011/02/26
2011/02/27
2011/02/28
2011/03/01
2011/03/02
2011/03/03
2011/03/04
2011/03/05
2011/03/06
2011/03/07
2011/03/08
2011/03/09
2011/03/10
2011/03/11
2011/03/13
2011/03/14
2011/03/15
2011/03/16
2011/03/17
2011/03/18
2011/03/19
2011/03/20
2011/03/21
2011/03/22
2011/03/23
2011/03/24
2011/03/25
2011/03/26
2011/03/27
2011/03/28
2011/03/29
2011/03/30
2011/03/31
2011/04/01
2011/04/02
2011/04/03
2011/04/04
2011/04/05
2011/04/06
2011/04/07
2011/04/08
2011/04/09
2011/04/10
2011/04/11
2011/04/12
2011/04/13
2011/04/14
2011/04/15
2011/04/16
2011/04/17
2011/04/18
2011/04/19
2011/04/20
2011/04/21
2011/04/22
2011/04/23
2011/04/24
2011/04/25
2011/04/26
2011/04/27
2011/04/28
2011/04/29
2011/04/30
Browse by creation date
Browse by origin
Embassy Athens
Embassy Asuncion
Embassy Astana
Embassy Asmara
Embassy Ashgabat
Embassy Apia
Embassy Ankara
Embassy Amman
Embassy Algiers
Embassy Addis Ababa
Embassy Accra
Embassy Abuja
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Embassy Abidjan
Consulate Auckland
Consulate Amsterdam
Consulate Adana
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura
Embassy Buenos Aires
Embassy Budapest
Embassy Bucharest
Embassy Brussels
Embassy Bridgetown
Embassy Bratislava
Embassy Brasilia
Embassy Bogota
Embassy Bishkek
Embassy Bern
Embassy Berlin
Embassy Belmopan
Embassy Belgrade
Embassy Beirut
Embassy Beijing
Embassy Banjul
Embassy Bangkok
Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan
Embassy Bamako
Embassy Baku
Embassy Baghdad
Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen
Embassy Conakry
Embassy Colombo
Embassy Chisinau
Embassy Caracas
Embassy Canberra
Embassy Cairo
Consulate Curacao
Consulate Ciudad Juarez
Consulate Chennai
Consulate Casablanca
Consulate Cape Town
Consulate Calgary
Embassy Dushanbe
Embassy Dublin
Embassy Doha
Embassy Djibouti
Embassy Dili
Embassy Dhaka
Embassy Dar Es Salaam
Embassy Damascus
Embassy Dakar
Consulate Dubai
Embassy Helsinki
Embassy Harare
Embassy Hanoi
Consulate Ho Chi Minh City
Consulate Hermosillo
Consulate Hamilton
Consulate Hamburg
Consulate Halifax
Embassy Kyiv
Embassy Kuwait
Embassy Kuala Lumpur
Embassy Kinshasa
Embassy Kingston
Embassy Kigali
Embassy Khartoum
Embassy Kathmandu
Embassy Kampala
Embassy Kabul
Consulate Kolkata
Embassy Luxembourg
Embassy Luanda
Embassy London
Embassy Ljubljana
Embassy Lisbon
Embassy Lima
Embassy Lilongwe
Embassy La Paz
Consulate Lahore
Consulate Lagos
Mission USOSCE
Mission USNATO
Mission UNESCO
Embassy Muscat
Embassy Moscow
Embassy Montevideo
Embassy Monrovia
Embassy Minsk
Embassy Mexico
Embassy Mbabane
Embassy Maputo
Embassy Manila
Embassy Manama
Embassy Managua
Embassy Malabo
Embassy Madrid
Consulate Munich
Consulate Mumbai
Consulate Montreal
Consulate Monterrey
Consulate Milan
Consulate Melbourne
Embassy Nicosia
Embassy Niamey
Embassy New Delhi
Embassy Ndjamena
Embassy Nassau
Embassy Nairobi
Consulate Naples
Consulate Naha
Embassy Pristina
Embassy Pretoria
Embassy Prague
Embassy Port Of Spain
Embassy Port Louis
Embassy Port Au Prince
Embassy Phnom Penh
Embassy Paris
Embassy Paramaribo
Embassy Panama
Consulate Peshawar
REO Basrah
Embassy Rome
Embassy Riyadh
Embassy Riga
Embassy Reykjavik
Embassy Rangoon
Embassy Rabat
Consulate Rio De Janeiro
Consulate Recife
Secretary of State
Embassy Suva
Embassy Stockholm
Embassy Sofia
Embassy Skopje
Embassy Singapore
Embassy Seoul
Embassy Sarajevo
Embassy Santo Domingo
Embassy Santiago
Embassy Sanaa
Embassy San Salvador
Embassy San Jose
Consulate Strasbourg
Consulate St Petersburg
Consulate Shenyang
Consulate Shanghai
Consulate Sapporo
Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis
Embassy Tripoli
Embassy Tokyo
Embassy The Hague
Embassy Tel Aviv
Embassy Tehran
Embassy Tegucigalpa
Embassy Tbilisi
Embassy Tashkent
Embassy Tallinn
Consulate Toronto
Consulate Tijuana
USUN New York
USEU Brussels
US Office Almaty
US Mission Geneva
US Interests Section Havana
US Delegation, Secretary
UNVIE
Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Embassy Vilnius
Embassy Vienna
Embassy Vatican
Embassy Valletta
Consulate Vladivostok
Consulate Vancouver
Browse by tag
AU
ASEC
AE
AF
AORC
AEMR
AMGT
ABUD
AFFAIRS
APER
AS
AMED
AY
AG
AR
AJ
AL
AID
AM
AODE
ABLD
AMG
AFIN
ATRN
AGAO
AFU
AN
AA
ALOW
APECO
ADM
ARF
ASEAN
APEC
AMBASSADOR
AO
ASUP
AZ
AADP
ACOA
ANET
AMCHAMS
ACABQ
ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG
APCS
AGMT
AINF
AIT
AORL
ACS
AFSI
AFSN
ACBAQ
AFGHANISTAN
ADANA
ADPM
AX
ADCO
AECL
AMEX
ACAO
ASCH
AORG
AGR
AROC
ASIG
AND
ARM
AQ
ATFN
AC
AUC
ASEX
AER
AVERY
AGRICULTURE
BL
BR
BO
BA
BD
BM
BK
BG
BU
BB
BH
BTIO
BY
BEXP
BP
BE
BRUSSELS
BF
BIDEN
BT
BX
BC
BILAT
BN
BBSR
BTIU
BWC
BMGT
CA
CASC
CVIS
CM
CH
CO
CU
CD
CWC
CI
CS
CY
CMGT
CF
CG
CR
CB
CV
CW
CE
CBW
CT
CPAS
COUNTERTERRORISM
CJAN
CODEL
CIDA
CDG
CDC
CIA
CTR
CNARC
CSW
CN
CONS
CLINTON
COE
CROS
CARICOM
CONDOLEEZZA
COUNTER
CL
COM
CICTE
CIS
CFED
COUNTRY
CJUS
CBSA
CEUDA
CLMT
CAC
COPUOS
CIC
CBE
CHR
CTM
CVR
CITEL
CLEARANCE
CACS
CAN
CITT
CARSON
CACM
CDB
CAPC
CKGR
CBC
EC
EG
EPET
ECON
ETRD
EFIN
EIND
EMIN
ENRG
EAID
EAGR
EUN
ETTC
EAIR
ENIV
ES
EU
EINV
ELAB
ECIN
EFIS
ELTN
EWWT
ECPS
ECONOMIC
ENGR
EN
EINT
EPA
ELN
ESA
EZ
ER
ET
EFTA
EINVECONSENVCSJA
EUMEM
ETRA
EXTERNAL
EI
EUR
EK
ERNG
ENGY
ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS
ENERG
EINVEFIN
ENVR
ECA
ELECTIONS
ETC
EUREM
ENNP
EFINECONCS
EURN
ECINECONCS
EEPET
EXIM
ERD
ENVI
ETRC
ETRDEINVTINTCS
ETRO
EDU
ETRN
EAIG
ECONCS
ECONOMICS
EAP
ECONOMY
EINN
EIAR
EXBS
ECUN
EINDETRD
EREL
EUC
ESENV
ECONEFIN
ECIP
EFIM
EAIDS
ETRDECONWTOCS
EUNCH
EINVETC
IZ
IT
IR
IS
IN
IC
IAEA
IO
ICAO
IWC
ID
IV
ISRAEL
IAHRC
IQ
ICTR
IMF
IRS
IDP
IGAD
ICRC
ICTY
IMO
IL
INRA
INRO
ICJ
ITU
IBRD
INMARSAT
IIP
ITALY
IEFIN
IACI
ILO
INTELSAT
ILC
ITRA
IDA
INRB
IRC
INTERPOL
IA
IPR
IRAQI
ISRAELI
INTERNAL
ISLAMISTS
INDO
ITPHUM
ITPGOV
ITALIAN
IBET
INR
IEA
IZPREL
IRAJ
ITF
IF
KDEM
KU
KPAL
KNNP
KCRM
KZ
KN
KS
KJUS
KTFN
KSCA
KV
KISL
KPAO
KPKO
KIRF
KTIA
KIPR
KFLO
KFRD
KTIP
KAWC
KSUM
KCOM
KAID
KE
KTDB
KMDR
KOMC
KWBG
KDRG
KVPR
KTEX
KGIC
KWMN
KSCI
KCOR
KACT
KDDG
KHLS
KSAF
KFLU
KSEO
KMRS
KSPR
KOLY
KSEP
KVIR
KGHG
KIRC
KUNR
KIFR
KCIP
KMCA
KMPI
KBCT
KHSA
KICC
KIDE
KCRS
KMFO
KRVC
KRGY
KR
KAWK
KG
KFIN
KHIV
KBIO
KOCI
KBTR
KNEI
KPOA
KCFE
KPLS
KSTC
KHDP
KPRP
KCRCM
KLIG
KCFC
KTER
KREC
KTBT
KPRV
KSTH
KRIM
KRAD
KWAC
KWMM
KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KOMS
KX
KMIG
KRCM
KVRP
KBTS
KPAONZ
KNUC
KNAR
KPWR
KNPP
KDEMAF
KNUP
KNNPMNUC
KERG
KGIT
KPAI
KTLA
KFSC
KCSY
KSAC
KTRD
KID
KOM
KMOC
KJUST
KGCC
KREL
KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KFTFN
KO
KNSD
KHUM
KSEC
KCMR
KCHG
KICA
KPIN
KESS
KDEV
KCGC
KWWMN
KPAK
KWNM
KWMNCS
KRFD
MOPS
MCAP
MPOS
MARR
MO
MNUC
MX
MASS
MG
MY
MU
ML
MR
MILITARY
MTCRE
MT
MEPP
MA
MDC
MP
MAR
MASSMNUC
MARAD
MAPP
MZ
MD
MI
MEETINGS
MK
MCC
MEPN
MRCRE
MAS
MIL
MASC
MC
MV
MTCR
MIK
MUCN
MEDIA
MERCOSUR
MW
MOPPS
MTS
MLS
MILI
MTRE
MEPI
MQADHAFI
MAPS
NO
NATO
NL
NP
NZ
NSF
NI
NH
NG
NAFTA
NU
NASA
NR
NATOPREL
NSSP
NSG
NA
NT
NW
NK
NPT
NPA
NATIONAL
NPG
NSFO
NS
NSC
NE
NGO
NDP
NIPP
NRR
NEW
NZUS
NC
NAR
NV
NORAD
OTRA
OPCW
OVIP
OAS
OREP
OPIC
OIIP
OPRC
ODIP
OEXC
OPDC
OSCE
OIC
OSCI
OECD
OFDP
OFDA
OMIG
OPAD
OFFICIALS
OVP
OIE
OHUM
OCS
OBSP
OTR
OSAC
ON
OCII
OES
PGOV
PREL
PHUM
PTER
PINS
PINR
PREF
PK
PROP
PA
PARM
PBTS
PMAR
PM
PGIV
PE
PRAM
PHUH
PHSA
PL
PNAT
PO
PLN
PAO
PSA
PHUMPGOV
PF
PEL
PBIO
POLITICS
PHUMBA
PAS
POL
PREO
PAHO
PMIL
POGOV
POV
PAK
PNR
PRL
PG
PREFA
PSI
PINL
PU
PARMS
PRGOV
PALESTINIAN
PAIGH
POLITICAL
PARTIES
POSTS
PROG
PORG
PTBS
PUNE
POLICY
PDOV
PCI
PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA
PBT
PP
PS
PY
PTERE
PGOF
PKFK
PSOE
PEPR
PPA
PINT
PRELP
PSEPC
PGOVE
PINF
PNG
PGOC
PFOR
PCUL
POLINT
PGGV
PHALANAGE
PARTY
PGOVLO
PHUS
PDEM
PECON
PROV
PHUMPREL
RS
RU
RELATIONS
RW
RO
RM
RP
ROOD
RICE
RUPREL
RSO
RCMP
REACTION
REPORT
REGION
RIGHTS
RF
RFE
RSP
RIGHTSPOLMIL
ROBERT
SU
SCUL
SNAR
SOCI
SF
SA
SHUM
SENV
SP
SR
SY
SANC
SC
SMIG
SZ
SARS
SW
SEVN
SO
SEN
SL
SNARCS
SNARN
SI
SG
SN
SH
SYR
SAARC
SPCE
SHI
SCRS
SENVKGHG
SYRIA
SWE
STEINBERG
SIPRS
ST
SNARIZ
SSA
SK
SPCVIS
SOFA
SIPDIS
SAN
TC
TI
TBIO
TH
TSPL
TRGY
TSPA
TPHY
TU
TW
TS
TAGS
TK
TX
TNGD
TZ
TF
TL
TV
TN
TD
TIP
TR
TP
TO
TT
TFIN
THPY
TERRORISM
TINT
TRSY
TURKEY
TBID
US
UK
UNGA
UP
UZ
UNMIK
USTR
UNO
UNSC
UN
UNESCO
UNAUS
UNHRC
UY
UG
UNHCR
UNCND
USOAS
USEU
UNICEF
UNEP
UV
UNPUOS
UNCSD
USUN
UNCHR
UNDC
USNC
UE
UNDP
UNC
USPS
USAID
UNVIE
UAE
UNFICYP
UNODC
UNCHS
UNIDROIT
UNDESCO
UNCHC
Browse by classification
Community resources
courage is contagious
Viewing cable 09QUITO801, CORREA,S STEADY VERBAL ASSAULT ON MEDIA CREATES
If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #09QUITO801.
Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin |
---|---|---|---|---|
09QUITO801 | 2009-09-02 21:35 | 2011-04-13 17:00 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Quito |
Appears in these articles: http://www.eluniverso.com/2011/04/13/1/1355/cable-223441.html |
VZCZCXYZ0011
OO RUEHWEB
DE RUEHQT #0801/01 2452135
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 022135Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY QUITO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0812
INFO RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 8344
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 4259
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 3690
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ SEP LIMA 3379
RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL 4590
C O N F I D E N T I A L QUITO 000801
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: TWENTY YEARS
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KPAO EC
SUBJECT: CORREA,S STEADY VERBAL ASSAULT ON MEDIA CREATES
HOSTILE CLIMATE
REF: A. QUITO 00791
¶B. QUITO 00437
Classified By: Amb...
id: 223441
date: 9/2/2009 21:35
refid: 09QUITO801
origin: Embassy Quito
classification: CONFIDENTIAL
destination: 09QUITO437|09QUITO791
header:
VZCZCXYZ0011
OO RUEHWEB
DE RUEHQT #0801/01 2452135
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 022135Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY QUITO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0812
INFO RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 8344
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 4259
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 3690
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ SEP LIMA 3379
RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL 4590
----------------- header ends ----------------
C O N F I D E N T I A L QUITO 000801
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: TWENTY YEARS
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KPAO EC
SUBJECT: CORREA,S STEADY VERBAL ASSAULT ON MEDIA CREATES
HOSTILE CLIMATE
REF: A. QUITO 00791
¶B. QUITO 00437
Classified By: Ambassador Heather Hodges for Reasons 1.4 (b, d)
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Upon being sworn in for his second
presidential term on August 10, Rafael Correa showed no sign
of letting up his verbal assault against the privately-owned
media. On the contrary, Correa proclaimed the press to be
his "greatest adversary" over the last 31 months of his first
term. Verbal aggressions against the press have become a
regular feature in his weekly radio and television addresses,
and the increase in harassment cases against journalists have
many in the profession concerned about the intensifying
hostile climate. Many perceive the President's systematic
attacks as an intentional strategy to discredit the press and
further consolidate power, although how far he will go
remains unclear. END SUMMARY.
CORREA'S CRY FOR BATTLE
¶2. (SBU) On August 10, in his 90-minute inaugural address,
Correa once again lashed out at the press, which he referred
to as his "greatest adversary," apparently more important
than troubled relations with Colombia, worsening border
security, and growing urban crime. Furthermore, Correa
discredited the press for having a "clear political role in
spite of not having any political legitimacy." This type of
rhetoric is a continuation of the tone of Correa's weekly
radio and television addresses (reftel B). In March, Correa
dismissed the Inter-American Press Association's mid-year
report, based on the organization's lack of "moral authority"
due to the fact they never won an election. He regularly
refers to the privately-owned press as "mediocre and
corrupt," and asserts that it "manipulates public opinion,"
"lies" and "publishes garbage." In May, Correa stated that
the press was "a grave political enemy (that) needs to be
defeated" and listed the alleged "worst" media outlets in
terms of corruption--Hoy, El Universo, and La Hora.
¶3. (SBU) The national privately-owned media has been the
primary target of Correa's criticism, with the less affluent
and less influential provincial and local newspapers
receiving less attention and therefore less pressure.
According to Correa, independent media outlets and their
elitist owners have "historically lined up with the
oligarchy," and "there exists a contradiction" between their
commercial agendas and the social service of providing
information that the press is obliged to fulfill. A number
of Embassy sources, including journalists, editors, and
representatives of professional associations and nonprofit
media think tanks and NGOs, stated that in spite of the
President's complaints about elitists, his tactic of
generalized vilification of the press is hurting journalists
on the front line and not the owners.
CORREA SPENDS $11 MILLION ON PUBLICITY--TELEAMAZONAS GETS
$1.3 MILLION
¶4. (SBU) Ironically, Correa's strategy to discredit the press
would be less effective without the press itself and
specifically the private press. According to a recent report
by Vanguardia, the presidency, excluding ministries and other
dependent entities, has spent 11 million dollars on
television, radio and newspaper publicity since the beginning
of 2008. Based on figures provided by the Under Secretary
for Image, Publicity and Promotion of the Presidency, the
greatest recipient of this spending has been Teleamazonas,
the independent station threatened with closure by the
administration (reftel A and B), with almost 1.3 million
dollars in state advertising funds.
CALCULATED STRATEGY TO DELEGITIMIZE THE PRESS
¶5. (C) The stream of public attacks and criticism by the
Ecuadorian government against the press has been a cause for
concern among those in the profession. Various media
contacts of the Embassy have described the current climate
for journalists as "hostile" and a direct result of Correa's
public censure of the press. They also described Correa's
"systematic" aggression against the media at large as a
calculated "strategy" to "delegitimize" the only noteworthy
opposition to the current government. According to Embassy
contacts, Correa's approach does not allow for any due
process or formal rebuttal from the press because they are
not legal actions but verbal accusations (although reftel A
and upcoming septel detail legal actions taken). In spite of
rough patches with past governments, there is consensus that
this steady assault by Correa's administration is an
unprecedented phenomenon in Ecuador. They also noted that
Correa's repeated attacks against the press have set an
example for other high-level government officials to exhibit
similar behavior.
CLIMATE OF FEAR
¶6. (C) Correa's verbal attacks of the private media are being
increasingly emulated among the general public. According to
the Ecuadorian media advocacy and watch group, Fundamedios,
instances of harassment, threats and physical attacks against
journalists and other media professionals are on the rise.
Statistics show that the average number of incidents since
July 2008 was less than seven per month but with a steady
increase throughout the year, and June and July of 2009
exhibiting the highest numbers of 12 and 16 incidents,
respectively. Cesar Recaurte, Fundamedios director, also
noted that in many cases, the attackers repeat Correa's
language of a "corrupt and mediocre media."
¶7. (C) Well-known Teleamazonas anchorman Jorge Ortiz told
Embassy Public Affairs officers that there "clearly exists a
climate of fear and danger for journalists." Ortiz, a
straight-talking and often aggressive interviewer on his
daily morning talk show, has been the target of numerous
verbal and physical assaults this year, including having his
car sideswiped while he was driving near the TV station,
another physical assault while he was walking down the
street, and most recently, a verbal insult in a Quito
shopping center by a stranger yelling out "How much does the
CIA pay you?," a direct reference to allegations made by
Correa's ex-Security Minister Gustavo Larrea.
SELF-CENSORSHIP--A REAL CONCERN?
¶8. (C) Although the occurrence of self-censorship is a real
concern, the jury is still out as to the degree of its
prevalence. Intimidation felt by journalists and the
management of media outlets to tone down any criticism of the
government is much more difficult to quantify than an upsurge
in harassment cases or minutes Correa dedicates to his weekly
address to insulting the media. However, a few high-profile
cases of individuals quitting due to political pressures have
demonstrated that some level of self-censorship exists. In
March of this year, Jose Toledo, former vice president of
news for the government-confiscated stations (GamaTV, TC
Television and CN3 Cablenoticias) resigned due to what he
claimed to be political pressure to favor government
candidates in April's elections. The following month, Carlos
Vera, a former star of Ecuavisa left the station after
Ecuavisa management put restrictions on his program's
content. While the station may have been giving into
government pressure, other factors may have been involved.
That said, Vera later claimed that freedom of expression was
being restricted by the climate created by Correa's attacks
against the press. Journalists from local and provincial
media outlets have told EmbOff that they are cautious not to
be critical of the current administration because they feel
vulnerable.
COMMENT
¶9. (C) The current hostile climate created by Correa's verbal
confrontation with the press is disconcerting for many
long-time media professionals. As Alfredo Negrete, former
editor of El Comercio and current president of the Ecuadorian
Press Editors Association, noted to EmbOff, Ecuador is far
from being a country in which journalists fear for their
lives. However, the "direction in which we are heading is
unclear." Correa's weekly public scoldings have journalists
and editors fearful and is potentially limiting the space for
free expression.
¶10. (C) Correa has also shown himself to be somewhat of a
pragmatist. In spite of his nearly constant criticism of
Teleamazonas, a station that he has singled out and
threatened with closure (reftel A and B), he has yet to make
any explicit illegal moves. A few days following Correa's
August 29 public demand to shut down Teleamazonas for airing
a clandestine audio of Correa regarding alleged illegal
changes to the constitution's text (reftel A), the
administration's spokesman threw some water on the fire and
said that "the President does not necessarily know the laws"
and that the station can only be fined, not shut down. That
said, septel will provide more details on the regulatory,
economic and legal actions Correa has taken to restrict the
press within the limits of the law.
HODGES
=======================CABLE ENDS============================