Ecuador Forum

OceanHideaway
Joined 2010
Posts: 6876

10 years ago

Correa and the question of Free Speech

10 years ago

Ecuador:
International Media lies about Correa's free-speech record

Sunday, July 21, 2013
By Christian Tym *
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When Ecuador granted asylum to Assange in mid-2012, Sydney Morning Herald’s Peter Hartcher accused Assange of “hypocrisy” for accepting asylum from President Rafael Correa, “one of the world’s leading oppressors of free speech”.

Annabel Crabb joined in, writing in the SMH: “A gazillion Assange Twitter fans [hailed] Ecuador and its president, Rafael Correa, as a hero of international free speech and human rights.

“Correa is the same guy who last year jailed a journalist and three executives from the newspaper El Universal [sic] for saying nasty things about him …[and] is expected to soon extradite the Belorussian anti-corruption campaigner Alexander Barankov to a messy fate in his country of birth … Ecuador: champion of free speech. The mind boggles.”

The only factual errors in Crabb's rant are that Barankov was never extradited (but granted asylum), the journalist and executives mentioned were never jailed and the newspaper is not called El Universal!

It might read like a snide put-down of poorer nations that are somehow less capable of “democracy”, but all SMH did was read from an extensive, Washington-penned playbook on how to denounce the Latin American left.

http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/54573

................................
The author of this article is Christian Tym a PhD student researching Political and Medical Anthropology in Ecuador. He is from Australia.

Allianz Care

Flexible solutions allow you to tailor your cover to meet your needs and budget. Use Promocode: LIFE10 and get 10% off your international health insurance for life!
Get Quote

Allianz Care

Flexible solutions allow you to tailor your cover to meet your needs and budget. Use Promocode: LIFE10 and get 10% off your international health insurance for life!
Get Quote

Living in Ecuador Guide

Expats in Ecuador share some of the pros and cons of living in Ecuador. Topics covered include where to live, the bureaucracy, the people and more.

Ecuador Forum
Join our Ecuador forum to meet other expats and talk about living in Ecuador.

Contribute
Help other expats and newcomers by answering questions about the challenges and adventures of living in Ecuador.

Best Places to Live in Ecuador

If you're dreaming about living in Ecuador, here are the 15 Best Places to Live in Ecuador in 2023.

Healthcare in Ecuador

Expats in Ecuador share their experiences with healthcare and overseas medical insurance in Ecuador.

Cost of Living in Ecuador

Expats offer insight into the cost of living in Ecuador.

Moving to Ecuador Guide

Expats in Ecuador offer advice to newcomers and people considering a move to Ecuador about clothing, sunscreen, renting before buying, gringo pricing, Ecuadorians politeness and much more.

Real Estate in Ecuador

Real estate listings in popular cities and towns in Ecuador.

Pros & Cons of Living in Ecuador

Take off your rose-colored glasses and learn what expats have to say about the biggest challenges and the greatest rewards of living in Ecuador.

Retiring in Ecuador

Advice for people retiring in Ecuador.

10 Tips for Living in Ecuador

If you've recently arrived in Ecuador, here are 10 tips for digital nomads living in Ecuador.

Additional Information:

Visit our Ecuador Index for a Full List

Allianz Care

Flexible solutions allow you to tailor your cover to meet your needs and budget. Use Promocode: LIFE10 and get 10% off your international health insurance for life!
Get Quote

Allianz Care

Flexible solutions allow you to tailor your cover to meet your needs and budget. Use Promocode: LIFE10 and get 10% off your international health insurance for life!
Get Quote

Contribute
Help others in Ecuador by answering questions about the challenges and adventures of living in Ecuador.