HRDs attacked and detained while monitoring protests; Clashes and detentions during nationwide protests

Introduction

UN Human Rights Committee raises concern over repeated states of emergency and risks to human rights defenders and journalists

In its November 2024 review of Ecuador, the UN Human Rights Committee expressed concern about the frequency of states of emergency, noting that derogations from Covenant rights appear to have become normalised at both national and local levels. The Committee regretted the recurrent use of “internal armed conflict” as grounds for such declarations since January 2024, and reported restrictions on freedom of movement, association and assembly that disproportionately affected Indigenous peoples, persons living in poverty, migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers. The Committee urged Ecuador to ensure that emergency measures remain temporary, proportionate and subject to judicial review, in line with Article 4 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and Constitutional Court rulings.

The Committee also raised concerns over the implementation of counter-terrorism policies, particularly the “Phoenix Plan.” It noted reports of over 35,000 arrests between January and May 2024, including on terrorism charges, warning that this scale may indicate arbitrary use of anti-terrorism powers to restrict fundamental rights. It called on Ecuador to ensure due process guarantees, adopt clear and precise legal definitions of terrorism consistent with international standards, and prevent counter-terrorism laws from being misused against peaceful protesters, journalists, opposition members and human rights defenders.

Regarding human rights defenders and journalists, the Committee highlighted persistent risks of killings, unlawful detentions, intimidation, criminalisation and defamation campaigns, especially against environmental and Indigenous defenders, and journalists investigating corruption cases. It noted the absence of a comprehensive protection policy and a dedicated protection mechanism, and called for the adoption of a national policy with strong civil society participation, incorporating intersectional and gender-sensitive approaches. The Committee also urged Ecuador to investigate all attacks and ensure accountability.

The Committee further raised concerns about freedom of expression and assembly, citing reports of harassment and violence against journalists, limited cooperation of the protection mechanism with civil society, and excessive use of force in demonstrations in 2019 and 2020. It recommended strengthening the protection mechanism for journalists with adequate resources and ensuring that assemblies, including those led by Indigenous and campesino organisations, are fully respected.

On freedom of association, the Committee expressed concern that the Integrity Strategy for Civil Society and NGOs could impose restrictive requirements threatening organisations’ legal status. For example, “the Committee is concerned about the requirements that, according to the Strategy, civil society organisations must meet in order to maintain their legal status.” It urged Ecuador to guarantee the effective exercise of the right to association in law and practice, and to refrain from adopting measures that would unduly control or interfere with civil society activities.

Association

Human rights defenders arbitrarily detained and ill-treated during protests

On 22nd November 2024, national police officers arbitrarily detained human rights defenders Miguel Ángel Pérez and Jafet Guzmán in Quito. Both belong to the Regional Foundation for Human Rights Advice (Fundación Regional de Asesoría de Derechos Humanos, Inredh) and were monitoring demonstrations against the government of President Daniel Noboa. They wore blue helmets labelled with Inredh’s name, clearly identifying them as observers.

Inredh reported that police used pepper spray on the defenders, confiscated and searched their phones, and blocked them from contacting family members or the organisation’s legal team. Their phones were only returned once their identities as human rights defenders were confirmed.

Inredh’s president, Verónica Yuquilema, stressed that the defenders were denied communication with their families and legal assistance. She also underlined that they were held at District Manuela Sáenz, which is not an authorised detention centre, exposing them to risks of ill-treatment and possible torture.

After undergoing official medical examinations, Pérez and Guzmán were taken to the Immediate Offences Unit in Quito and later released the same day. Their release took place under unclear circumstances, with no legal basis provided to justify their detention.

On 3rd December 2024, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders condemned the violent detention. They urged the Ecuadorian authorities to end all forms of reprisals and harassment, including arbitrary detention, against members of Inredh, other civil society organisations, and all persons exercising their right to peaceful protest. The Observatory further called on the authorities to guarantee, in all circumstances, the right to peaceful assembly as enshrined in international human rights instruments.

Environmental defender receives threats

On 15th January 2025, environmental human rights defender Néstor Caicedo received threatening text and voice messages from two unknown numbers. The callers identified themselves as “la mafia”, demanded USD 1,000 in exchange for “protection”, and threatened reprisals if he refused. Caicedo reported earlier threats linked to his community work, and authorities provided a temporary police escort at that time. He has reported the latest threats to the competent authorities, yet he currently lacks institutional protection.

Caicedo defends the collective territory of Afro-descendant communes in San Javier de Cachaví, Esmeraldas province, on the border with Colombia. Since 2005, as former president of the Barranquilla commune and, since 2023, as the representative of the San Javier de Cachaví Rural Parish Decentralised Autonomous Government, he has led peaceful efforts to protect communal land and the environment from logging and oil-palm interests. Community members report the recent presence of armed people in the area.

These threats come just days before a hearing in a case brought by the Barranquilla commune against Energy & Palma. A few years ago, the same company sued Caicedo and community leaders Andrés Arce, Samir Mina and Luis Quintero, claiming damages from protests. In September 2021, a court found the defenders guilty, and an appeal court confirmed the decision in 2022. The leaders appealed at the end of the hearings and are still waiting for written confirmation to make it official.

Habeas data action against human rights organisation

A prominent human rights organisation in Ecuador is facing legal proceedings over a video it released documenting alleged shortcomings in government consultation on a controversial mining project.

On 8th January 2025, a group of people identifying themselves as presidents of five communities in Las Naves, Bolívar province, filed a habeas data action against the Ecumenical Human Rights Commission (Comisión Ecuménica de Derechos Humanos, CEDHU). The action seeks a corrective publication regarding a video disseminated by CEDHU in February 2024.

The video documented a December 2023 consultative assembly on the Curipamba El Domo mining project, operated by the Canadian company Curimining S.A., and raised questions about the inclusiveness and conditions of the environmental consultation conducted by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition (MAATE).

The claimants allege that the video violated their right to rectification under Article 66(7) of Ecuador’s Constitution, asserting that it disseminated false and malicious information about the consultation process. CEDHU, however, asserts the accuracy of the content, pointing to its support for a June 2024 constitutional challenge brought by twenty-seven campesinos from three Las Naves communities. That case alleged violations of the right to environmental consultation under Article 398 of the Constitution and Articles 2.3 and 5 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants.

Notably, the same individuals now bringing the habeas data action acted as supporting third parties for MAATE and Curimining in the June 2024 proceedings, represented by the same legal counsel. The protection action was dismissed in both lower courts and is pending extraordinary review before the Constitutional Court.

Senior officials intimidate judge and vilify human rights organisations

According to civil society organisations, in early January 2025, the Minister of the Interior, Mónica Palencia, publicly threatened a constitutional judge with sanctions and filed a lawsuit alleging harm to the institutional image of her Ministry. Additionally, the Minister of Defence, Gian Carlo Loffredo, accused human rights organisations of engaging in “acts of political persecution”, warned that he would go “to the ultimate consequences to ensure that her conduct is sanctioned”, and announced that “the use of human rights discourse as an instrument of political persecution must be investigated”, signalling potential action against human rights organisations.

These declarations followed a ruling in December 2024 in which the Constitutional Court determined that the arbitrary detention of four minors in Guayaquil constituted enforced disappearance and ordered reparations.

Civil society organisations denounced that the public threats and vilification by senior officials against a sitting judge represent interference with judicial independence and create a climate of intimidation towards the judiciary and human rights defenders. Such conduct risks obstructing accountability for enforced disappearance and related violations, contravening Ecuador’s obligations under international human rights law.

Minister files gender-based political violence complaint against human rights lawyer

On 5th December 2024, the Minister of Inclusion, Zaida Rovira, filed a complaint before the Electoral Disputes Tribunal (TCE) against constitutional lawyer and university professor María Dolores Miño. Miño is a constitutional lawyer specialised in human rights, an international law expert, and a university lecturer.

The complaint alleged gender-based political violence under Article 280 of the Organic Law on Elections and Political Organisations. According to media reports, the provision has been in force since 2019, during which time more than 40 similar complaints have reportedly been filed.

The case arose from an exchange on the social network X on 30th November 2024. Following a post by Minister Rovira congratulating President Noboa on his birthday, Miño replied: “De ser alfrombra del autoritarismo no se regresa” (“Once complicit with authoritarianism, there is no way back.”) This exchange prompted further words between the two and led to the minister’s filing before the TCE. The complaint remains pending before the TCE.

Radio show accused of smearing civil society after USAID cuts

On 29th January 2025, during the programme Bajo el Ocaso on Radio Pichincha, presenters “Chano y Chimi” spent over 20 minutes discrediting human rights organisations and independent media outlets in the context of the United States Government’s decision to suspend international cooperation.

They targeted Mil Hojas, Plan V, Código Vidrio, La Fuente – Periodismo de Investigación and Participación Ciudadana, alleging that these entities “live off anti-correísmo” and focus exclusively on investigating former president Rafael Correa and his associates. The presenters displayed selected publications from the outlets to support this claim, disregarding their broader investigative and human rights work.

The programme linked the suspension of international aid—particularly programmes funded by USAID under President Donald Trump’s administration—to the work of these organisations. The presenters further accused some of them of playing “a political role in favour of the Ecuadorian right.”

They specifically singled out Fundamedios, describing it as biased and claiming it only reports on attacks affecting “a group of friends.” This assertion contradicted the organisation’s record, which includes at least three alerts documenting risks faced by Radio Pichincha, two of them issued in late 2024.

Report reveals how weak laws enable union-busting tactics

In January 2025, the American Bar Association Centre for Human Rights published a report highlighting entrenched anti-union practices in Ecuador. The country maintains one of the lowest unionisation rates in Latin America, a situation linked to widespread employer retaliation, weak labour regulations and limited enforcement of existing protections.

According to the report, employers commonly resort to retaliatory dismissals of union members and leaders, harassment designed to pressure resignations, blacklisting and the creation of employer-dominated “yellow unions.” Additional tactics include offering financial inducements to leave unions and filing abusive lawsuits to criminalise leaders. Employers often combine these practices as part of broader anti-union tactics.

The regulatory framework contributes to impunity. Barriers include the high threshold of workers required to form unions, non-recognition of sectoral unions, limited protection against retaliatory dismissals outside organising and bargaining stages, and burdensome procedures for challenging dismissals. Labour inspectorates lack the institutional capacity to intervene effectively, leaving workers with minimal protection. The report concludes that legal reform and stronger enforcement mechanisms are essential to safeguard freedom of association and labour rights in Ecuador.

UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination warns of rights violations linked to extractive projects and reprisals against human rights defenders

In December 2024, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) raised concerns about the human rights impacts of extractive projects and business activities in Ecuador. It cited cases of mining, logging and large-scale agriculture leading to environmental damage, land dispossession and community displacement.

The Committee noted the absence of comprehensive environmental and human rights impact assessments and inadequate consultation processes to secure free, prior and informed consent in projects such as Curipampa-El Domo, La Plata, Mirador, Rio Blanco and San Carlos Panantza. It also expressed concern about the deployment of armed forces under Executive Decree No. 754 and reports of harassment and criminalisation of defenders opposing extractive activities.

The Committee urged Ecuador to ensure companies operating in its jurisdiction conduct human rights due diligence and respect court rulings, to strengthen protections for collective land and water rights of Indigenous Peoples, people of African descent and Montubio communities, and to guarantee genuine processes of free, prior and informed consent. It called for an end to the deployment of armed forces in connection with extractive projects, and for all allegations of intimidation, harassment or reprisals against communities and defenders to be promptly investigated.

CERD also noted the reports on killings, attacks, threats, arbitrary detentions, and criminalisation against human rights defenders, particularly those working on Indigenous, Afro-descendant and Montubio rights in territories affected by natural resource exploitation. It recommended the adoption of a comprehensive protection policy developed in consultation with affected communities, and the establishment of prompt and impartial investigations into all reported violations, ensuring accountability and effective protection.

Peaceful Assembly

Clashes and detentions during nationwide protests against the government

On 15th November 2024, trade unions, indigenous groups, students and other social organisations staged nationwide protests against the administration of President Daniel Noboa. Protesters denounced the electricity crisis, the economic recession and escalating violence and insecurity, while also commemorating the 102nd anniversary of the “Guayaquil massacre” of workers by security forces in 1922.

In Quito, the march proceeded peacefully until protesters reached the Government Palace, where clashes erupted with police guarding the access roads. Security forces deployed tear gas, forcing people to flee, and police dragged a protester through the streets as others tried to intervene.

In Latacunga, 80km south of the capital, thousands of indigenous people mobilised at the call of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (CONAIE). Protesters carried banners reading “apagones igual pobreza” (“blackouts equal poverty”) and “viva la lucha popular” (“long live the people’s struggle”), among others. The demonstration took place without incident.

Six days later, on 21st November, protests resumed in Quito, with protesters again denouncing the energy crisis and government economic policies. Chants of “Fuera Noboa fuera” (“Noboa Out”) and “Noboa, muñeco de cartón, dejaste sin luz a todo el Ecuador” (“Noboa, cardboard puppet, you left Ecuador without power”) echoed as they marched from El Ejido Park toward the Government Palace. More than 2,000 police officers were deployed, and barricades blocked the route. Confrontations followed, with some protesters throwing stones and attempting to breach barriers. Police fired tear gas and later claimed protesters assaulted officers and damaged public property. Ten protesters were detained and three police officers injured.

According to Associated Press, the demonstrations proceeded despite a warning from Interior Minister Mónica Palencia regarding the state of emergency in Quito, which she said temporarily restricted freedom of association. Hours before the march, the Constitutional Court upheld the legality of Executive Decree No. 410, which had declared the state of emergency in early October, but struck down provisions suspending the freedom of peaceful assembly.

The protests unfolded against the backdrop of nationwide blackouts lasting up to 12 hours a day, and in some areas up to 14 hours, caused by Ecuador’s worst drought in six decades. Hydroelectric plants have been unable to operate at capacity, and the Paute complex, which supplies 38 per cent of the country’s electricity, has been forced to shut down repeatedly.

Ecuador’s Amazon city erupts in protest over plans for mega prison

Protests gripped Archidona, a small Amazonian city, for two weeks in early December 2024, after the Ecuadorian government launched the process for the expansion of the existing prison in Archidona into a maximum-security facility on 25th November 2024. The Archidona jail is one of two maximum-security prisons promised by Noboa, modelled on El Salvador’s Bukele strategy of isolating gang leaders. The second prison, in Santa Elena province, is already under construction amid a legal challenge. Each facility will hold 736 inmates.

Protesters, led by Kichwa communities, said the project threatens their way of life and the region’s fragile environment. What began with road blockades and shortages of food has escalated into direct confrontations with police.

On 12th December 2024, more than 3,000 protesters marched in Archidona after the government confirmed the contract. Chanting “No to the prison”, crowds marched to the provincial governor’s office after breaking through police barriers. “This is a struggle of the people”, said Archidona’s mayor, Amanda Grefa. “We want life and peace, not prisons.” Protester Mélida Aguinda told reporters: “We want tourism, schools and hospitals. Not another prison.”

Later that day, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the governor’s office with traditional spears. After dismantling security fences, police deployed tear gas. Protesters occupied the building. The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of the Ecuadorian Amazon (Confeniae) reported the decision to occupy followed ten days of mobilisations and the Government’s refusal to engage in dialogue.

Indigenous leaders and organisations warned that they would intensify their actions if the Government continues with the construction of the penitentiary centre. Leonidas Iza, president of the CONAIE, reiterated his opposition to the project, criticised the lack of community consultation, and warned of a possible escalation of the protests.

Meanwhile, on 11th December 2024, the National Assembly adopted a resolution with 95 votes calling on President Daniel Noboa and the National Service for Comprehensive Attention to Adults Deprived of Liberty (SNAI) to halt the prison’s construction.

Archidona, a city of 8,000 on the Napo River, relies on farming and eco-tourism. Residents said the prison will threaten livelihoods and cultural heritage. UNESCO is considering the surrounding Napo Sumaco region for recognition as the world’s first Amazonian geopark

Vigil marks one month since the enforced disappearance of four Afro-Ecuadorian children

On 8th January 2025, civil society organisations held a cultural vigil in Quito to mark one month since the enforced disappearance of four children whose families and supporters accuse the armed forces of responsibility.

The “Vigilia Pacífica Cultural Afroecuatoriana” took place outside the Army’s General Command in La Recoleta. Participants set up an altar, sang traditional arrullos and chiguales, and performed marimba and drum music in memory of Ismael, Josué, Steven and Saúl, all from the Las Malvinas community.

The vigil was called by Afro-Ecuadorian organisations and joined by families of femicide victims, civil society groups and activists. Signs denounced structural racism and blamed both the armed forces and the state.

Campesino families protest land dispossession before Constitutional Court

On 23rd January 2025, members of the Asociación Agropecuaria 30 de Marzo and their allies staged a demonstration outside the Constitutional Court in Quito to demand justice over what they describe as the illegal and violent dispossession of their lands in Los Ríos province.

According to the Frente Nacional Antiminero, 74 campesino families —approximately 450 people— from the canton of Palenque were stripped of their property to the benefit of agro-industrial companies. The association asserted that it is the legitimate owner of the land and holds the legal deeds.

Protesters denounced what they called the fraudulent use of constitutional guarantees to legitimise the dispossession, involving public officials, justice sector actors and private individuals. They also carried banners declaring “the land belongs to those who work it, not to the agro-export elite”, and demanded that the Constitutional Court resolve case No. 12-23-IS in favour of the campesino families.

The mobilisation featured campesinos, Indigenous and Montubio communities, as well as other civil society organisations. Participants called for an end to violence and for the restitution of their collective property rights. Slogans at the protest included: “¡Viva el pueblo montubio, viva la cultura campesina, viva la lucha!”

The families and their representatives insist that the Court must uphold their ownership rights and return the land to its “legitimate owners,” stressing that their livelihoods and culture are at stake.

Waorani communities demand ruling to uphold right to consultation

On 14th November 2024, dozens of Waorani communities from Pastaza gathered outside the Constitutional Court in Quito to demand the immediate issuance of a 2019 ruling that guarantees their right to free, prior and informed consultation over projects affecting their territories. The mobilisation took place ahead of the Court’s scheduled partial renewal of its judges.

Community representatives, many in traditional dress, spoke to the press, warning that delays in delivering the judgment undermine their right to defend their lands from extractive activities. “We are here to demand that the Court act before changes are made, and to remind the State of its obligation to consult Indigenous peoples before authorising projects that could affect our lives and territories”, said one leader.

Women march against gender violence

On 25th November 2024, thousands marched peacefully in Quito to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Protesters demanded that the government adopt effective measures to prevent gender-based violence, provide protection and ensure justice for victims.

According to women’s organisations, Ecuador has already recorded 214 femicides in 2024. Relatives of victims joined the march carrying photographs and T-shirts bearing the names of their daughters, denouncing persistent impunity and lack of progress in judicial proceedings.

The protest, which traditionally heads towards Quito’s historic centre, was rerouted after the government deployed a heavy police cordon. “We feel safer away from the police”, said one marcher, echoing widespread concern that the security forces had been instructed to prevent them from reaching symbolic landmarks.

Expression

Journalist shot dead in Daule

On 23rd November 2024, unidentified assailants shot and killed journalist Leonardo Rivas Espinoza of the digital outlet Radio Cariñosa de Daule in Daule, Guayas. He was driving with his wife when another vehicle intercepted them and its occupants fired multiple shots.

According to preliminary information from the National Police, his wife exited the vehicle after the attack and sought assistance from people nearby, who attempted to take him to a medical facility. A medical team arrived at the scene and confirmed his death minutes later due to his injuries. The attack occurred at kilometre 9 on the road to Daule, near the Huancavilca Military Fort.

Fundamedios expressed solidarity with his family and colleagues and called on the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and identify those responsible.

Death threats against journalists

On 22nd October 2024, journalist Jorge Navarrete published a report on coca plantations along Ecuador’s northern border, including allegations that children had been recruited to harvest crops. Shortly after publication, he received a death threat demanding that he remove the article from the internet. A week later he received a further warning. On 2nd November 2024, he received a third death threat and a message instructing him to leave his city of residence.

In a separate case, on 22nd November 2024, journalist Guido Bricio, director of the news outlet Al Día, received death threats after his name appeared in a so-called “cleansing list” circulating on social media. The list, shared on WhatsApp in the city of Quevedo, Los Ríos province, contained the names of 17 individuals—among them politicians, lawyers and journalists.

Bricio told the press freedom organisation Fundamedios that he has been unable to trace the origins of the threat. He has kept a low profile since being kidnapped about eighteen months ago. On the morning the list circulated, he had met with the owner of a local radio station critical of the Quevedo administration and his son. A photograph taken at the meeting was later posted online. Both men also appeared in the list.

Journalist attacked while covering protest

On 23rd December 2024, Arahí Vega, journalist with Diario La Hora, faced verbal and physical aggression while covering a protest in Quito, demanding answers from the Government regarding the alleged enforced disappearance of four minors.

Vega attended the event with other journalists, conducting interviews, taking photographs and filming. After completing this work, she moved to a corner of the square to send material to her newsroom. She reported that a person approached her with an ironic remark about Ecuavisa’s coverage of the protest. When she clarified that she worked for Diario La Hora, another person accused her of receiving Government funding and told her not to defend Ecuavisa. Vega asked to continue her work.

She then relocated, but the two people followed her. One began filming her despite her repeated requests to stop. When she attempted to document the incident on her phone, one person struck the device and threatened her with a raised fist. Vega reported that neither the police officers present nor organisers from Mujeres por el Cambio and the Frente Unitario de Trabajadores (FUT) intervened to stop the aggression.

Colleagues advised Vega not to leave alone and accompanied her towards the exit of Plaza Grande. At that point, the same two people attacked again, targeting Vega and other journalists.

Football players attack journalists

On 8th November 2024, reporter Andy Calero and cameraman César Paredes, both working with TV Centro in Guaranda, Bolívar, were attacked while covering a traffic accident in the La Pila neighbourhood. The assault was later reported live, with Paredes appearing on air with visible head injuries.

According to their testimony, the aggressors were members of the football team La Paz F.C., affiliated with Delfín Sporting Club of Manta, whose bus was involved in the accident. Paredes reported that players began insulting and threatening them when they filmed the scene. Despite explaining that they were carrying out their professional duties, the players attacked them.

The journalists sought refuge in a restaurant, but the assailants pursued them, physically assaulted them, and destroyed TV Centro’s equipment, including microphones and mobile phones. Calero stated that approximately 25 players took part, breaking his glasses and damaging Paredes’s camera. Paredes reported that attackers kicked him in the face and attempted to strangle him.

Intimidation of journalist

On 9th January 2025, police officers visited the home of journalist Evelyn Calderón in Quito, hours after she published an investigative report alleging possible influence peddling by Verónica Cevallos, president of the Parish GAD of San Antonio de Pichincha. The visit followed a complaint Cevallos lodged at a local police unit, claiming she had been named in Calderón’s report.

The officers told Calderón to stop mentioning Cevallos by name and warned that her existing protection measures—granted against the parish president—could be revoked. Calderón said that police have no authority to make such decisions.

The dispute between the two dates back to July 2024, when Cevallos filed a criminal complaint accusing Calderón of violating her privacy by publishing her home address and images of her residence. In August 2024, Calderón obtained a protection order against Cevallos, which bars the official from approaching her or interfering with her rights.

Cevallos argues that Calderón is also bound by the order to avoid mentioning her on social media. She has accused Calderón of breaching the order and announced plans to issue a formal declaration against her.

Journalist faces criminal complaint over report on airline accident

On 6th January 2025, Rubens Álvarez, former legal representative of the airline AEROKASHURCO Cía. Ltda. and recently appointed Secretary-General of the Amazon Region, filed a criminal complaint against journalist Jefferson Santos of Pastaza. The case stems from a July 2024 Facebook report on Portada TV, where Santos referred to an accident involving the airline in 2020 that caused five deaths and injured one child.

Álvarez accused Santos of defamation against him, under article 396(1) of the Organic Comprehensive Criminal Code, and requested USD 20,000 in compensation as well as public apologies.

Facebook’s removal of journalistic content threatens freedom of expression

On 6th December 2024, Facebook removed multiple publications from three Ecuadorian digital media outlets, limiting the circulation of reporting on alleged irregularities in public contracting processes. The outlets affected were Humarta, Radio Reloj and Radio Voz de Upano, all based in Morona Santiago province.

According to Fundamedios, the removals followed copyright complaints filed by a Facebook profile under the name Davier Aguilar, which has over 316,000 followers and is administered by Jhosue Morante. Morante reportedly controls 143 pages on the platform.

The content removed addressed alleged acts of corruption in the contracting processes of the Municipality of Morona Canton. Among the cases was the bidding process for Macas’ sewerage system, criticised for the amounts tendered and raising suspicions of corruption. Facebook sanctioned Radio Reloj after it aired a prime-time news segment on the matter. Notifications from the platform alleged copyright violations, initially over one interview video and subsequently over four other videos linked to the same issue.

Radio Reloj’s director, Alexis Jumbo, explained that the flagged publication had been denounced by a larger page with unrelated content. “Despite it being a clear attack on freedom of expression, we decided not to comply with the alert”, he said. Jumbo also confirmed that Humarta and Radio Voz de Upano faced similar sanctions. In the case of Humarta, publications related to the Morona mayor’s office were removed after accusations of disseminating material linked to child sexual exploitation – allegations the outlet denies.

Journalists denied access to official events in Santo Domingo

On 7th November 2024, journalists Diego Aparicio of 99 Radio and Jorge Defaz of Diario La Hora reported that police officers blocked their entry to events organised by the Presidency and the Governorship of Santo Domingo. They also failed to gain access to a National Assembly event commemorating the cantonisation of Santo Domingo, despite having received accreditation in advance.

That day, three events took place in Santo Domingo. The National Assembly held a solemn ceremony marking the cantonisation of the city at the Hotel Zaracay, while former presidential adviser Diana Jácome held a press conference at the same venue on the progress of the draft law to establish the Public University of Santo Domingo. In parallel, President Daniel Noboa carried out a protocol visit at the Grand Hotel Santo Domingo. The three events overlapped between 9:00 and 12:00, creating logistical difficulties for local media.

Aparicio explained that he managed to enter the press conference, but when he later attempted to cover the Assembly’s ceremony, police informed him that no list of accredited press existed and that no protocol staff were available. He stated that officials ultimately denied him access. Defaz reported that when he attempted to attend the presidential event, he faced delays due to street closures, was redirected several times and was finally denied entry on grounds of capacity. He added that protocol staff did not clearly identify accredited journalists and confused them with members of the public.

Both journalists noted that, while they and other local media were excluded, the team of a state-owned broadcaster gained access to the official events.

Journalist targeted by identity theft as content creator reports hack attempt

On 21st January 2025, content creator Nicolás Armendáriz reported on his channel that he had received a message from an unknown number impersonating journalist Gisella Bayona, requesting contact details of sources and political figures. He further alleged that someone had attempted to hack his media accounts, a claim he made public through a video posted on his X account. He also raised the issue during an interview with National Assembly candidate Lucio Gutiérrez, who confirmed that he too had been contacted by a number purporting to belong to Bayona and asked for financial support.

According to Fundamedios, Bayona confirmed that she has faced repeated incidents of identity theft for more than a year. She explained that colleagues and public authorities had contacted her believing they had communicated directly with her. Bayona stated that she reported the matter to the Public Prosecutor’s Office and that the National Police Intelligence Department had identified the alleged perpetrator, but no legal action had followed.

On the same day, Women Press Freedom criticised the lack of prosecutorial action and called on the Ecuadorian authorities to investigate and prosecute those responsible. The organisation expressed solidarity with Bayona and urged the State to prioritise the protection of journalists and address digital attacks that undermine their work:

“This case exposes rising digital threats against journalists. Our data shows women journalists face disproportionate online harassment, often escalating into real-world dangers. Journalists must be able to work without fear of cyberattacks, impersonation, or intimidation.”

Ecuador records nearly 200 attacks on the press in one year

Press freedom in Ecuador came under unprecedented pressure in 2024, with 194 attacks documented against reporters and media outlets, according to a report published in January 2025 by Fundamedios.

Verbal abuse (33 cases) and threats (29) were the most common, followed by censorship (18), physical assaults (14), restrictions on information (14), and arbitrary detentions (3). Eight journalists were forced into exile.

Journalists bore the brunt of attacks, accounting for more than two-thirds of cases. Media outlets suffered 47 incidents. Women reporters faced 45 aggressions, many with a gender-based dimension.

State actors were identified as the main perpetrators, with abuse of judicial mechanisms singled out as a tool of intimidation. Organised crime also played a key role, using extortion and death threats to silence critical voices.

The report highlights Pichincha and Guayas as hotspots, though attacks spread nationwide and increasingly online. Fundamedios warned that without urgent protection and accountability, Ecuador risks normalising violence against those who defend truth and transparency.

UN finds violation of right to freedom of expression and access to reproductive health information

On 17th January 2025, the UN Human Rights Committee adopted a landmark decision (CCPR/C/142/D/3628/2019) finding Ecuador in violation of Norma’s right to freedom of expression, specifically her right of access to information as guaranteed under Article 19 of the ICCPR. Norma is a survivor of sexual violence who became pregnant at the age of 13 following repeated abuse by her father.

Norma, represented by reproductive rights organisations (Surkuna, Centre for the Support and Protection of Human Rights, Center for Reproductive Rights, and Planned Parenthood Global) argued that the State’s failure to provide accurate and evidence-based information on sexual and reproductive health, her rights during pregnancy, and available options—including abortion and adoption—resulted in forced motherhood and heightened her vulnerability.

As analysed by the Global Freedom of Expression from Columbia University, the Committee reaffirmed that Article 19 imposes an obligation on States to ensure access to comprehensive and reliable information on sexual and reproductive health, with particular emphasis on the needs of girls and adolescents in situations of vulnerability. It held that the denial of such information prevented the applicant from making informed decisions regarding her body and future, thereby violating Article 19 of the Covenant.

The Committee ordered Ecuador to provide the petitioner with an effective remedy, including full reparation and adequate compensation. It further recommended that the State adopt structural measures, including reform of the legal framework governing access to reproductive health services, training of healthcare professionals and justice operators in cases of sexual violence, and the development of preventive policies.

A novel feature of the Committee’s decision lies in its articulation of the right of access to information in the context of sexual and reproductive health. In the three cases under review, the Committee found violations of Article 19 on the ground that the girls were denied information essential for making informed decisions about their reproductive health. This interpretation expands the normative scope of Article 19 and provides a basis for advancing claims to comprehensive sexual education as a protected right.

The Committee’s findings also align with the Inter-American Court’s reasoning in Guzmán Albarracín v. Ecuador, where the Court recognised comprehensive sexual education not only as a right per se but also as an indispensable means of empowering adolescents to exercise their autonomy—including reproductive autonomy—and of preventing sexual violence.

Other developments

Constitutional Court recognises modern slavery and structural racism in Furukawa case

On 5th December 2024, the Constitutional Court of Ecuador delivered a landmark judgment recognising that workers on the Furukawa estates had been subjected for over five decades to a system of “servidumbre de la gleba”—serfdom, a practice analogous with modern slavery. The Court held that the exploitation was sustained by conditions of “extreme vulnerability” and by the “structural racism” prevalent in Ecuadorian society.

The Court found that Furukawa Plantaciones C.A., established in Ecuador in the mid-1960s, required workers—mostly Afro-Ecuadorians—to live in precarious camps within the estates, without access to basic services such as potable water, electricity, health care or education. They were compelled to cultivate abacá fibre for the exclusive benefit of the company, with no possibility of altering their generational status.

The camps on Furukawa’s estates lacked electricity, potable water, basic sanitation facilities, and access to education and health services. Furukawa employed various contractual arrangements within the framework of “servidumbre de la gleba” to give a semblance of legality to this practice and, between 2011 and 2019, it entered into lease agreements with individuals in conditions of extreme vulnerability.

The Court declared both the company and State authorities responsible. It held the State accountable for failing to adopt preventive and protective measures and ordered a broad package of reparations, including: (i) a public apology by the President (or a senior minister) to be delivered in Quito’s Plaza Grande; (ii) symbolic measures such as the production of a documentary and the declaration of a national day of commemoration; (iii) economic reparations and possible land transfers; and (iv) structural reforms to prevent corporate impunity and the recurrence of slavery-like practices.

In its reasoning, the Court explicitly linked the exploitation to the Afro-descendant origin of the workers, noting that they had been perceived “as objects of production and not as persons equal in human dignity”.

The decision constitutes a watershed moment in Ecuadorian jurisprudence, establishing a binding precedent on modern slavery, corporate accountability and racial discrimination in the context of agribusiness.