Journalists in Ecuador face mounting insecurity
by LUIS FERNANDO CASCANTE
Apr 26, 2024
When a group of masked, armed men stormed the TC Television network studios in Guayaquil, Ecuador during a live broadcast in January, the lack of security Ecuadorian journalists experience today was exposed.
Violence against reporters in the country isn’t new as of this incident a few months ago, but it has escalated as drug traffickers have gained more control over certain territories.
Diego Ortiz, a university professor and former editor of the newspaper, El Comercio, remembers the kidnapping and murder of his colleagues in 2018 as a turning point for journalism in the country.
"Six years ago, we sent a team on a mission and we realized how dangerous it was to be a journalist in Ecuador. We didn't know how reliable it was to send them with the police or the military. There were leaks of information that put them in danger. They were all killed," said Ortiz, who added that the State does not have the capacity to protect reporters, especially in "hot" zones.
Nearly six years later, the escalation of violence against Ecuadorian journalists has led to a 275% increase in death threats.
More:
https://ijnet.org/en/story/journalists-ecuador-face-mounting-insecurity