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### Viewing cable 07QUITO1124, CORREA ESCALATES WAR AGAINST THE PRESS

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
07QUITO1124 | 2007-05-16 22:10 | 2011-04-30 08:08 | CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN | Embassy Quito
Appears in these articles: http://m.elcomercio.com/wikileaks/cable.php?c=a87ff67 http://m.elcomercio.com/wikileaks/cable.php?c=e4da3b7 http://m.elcomercio.com/wikileaks/cable.php?c=1679091

`

    VZCZCXYZ0000
    OO RUEHWEB

    DE RUEHQT #1124/01 1362201
    ZNY CCCCC ZZH
    O 162201Z MAY 07
    FM AMEMBASSY QUITO
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7015
    INFO RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA PRIORITY 6655
    RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 2552
    RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ MAY 0595
    RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 1663
    RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL PRIORITY 2331
    RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
    RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL

` `

    C O N F I D E N T I A L QUITO 001124

    SIPDIS

    SENSITIVE
    SIPDIS

    STATE FOR WHA/PPD: MDCONNORS, WHA/AND: JKEIL, DRL/AWH:
    JMUNOZ

    E.O. 12958: DECL: TEN YEARS
    TAGS: PGOV PREL EC
    SUBJECT: CORREA ESCALATES WAR AGAINST THE PRESS

    REF: QUITO 0565

    Classified By: PolOff James Cohen for reasons 1.4 (b)& (d).

    ¶1.  (U) Summary: President Correa ramped up his war of words
    and legal battle with the press May 15 by once again
    referring to the media as "mediocre and incompetent".  While
    signing documents adding further charges of "insult" to his
    pending lawsuit against the daily newspaper La Hora, Correa
    vowed to fight "corruption in all of its forms", including
    the mass media.  End Summary.

    BACKGROUND:  "INTOLERABLE" AND "OFFICIAL VANDALISM"

    ¶2.  (U)  President Correa escalated his war against the press
    in general and specifically against the national daily
    newspaper La Hora by adding to his already pending lawsuit
    against them, filed on May 5.  During a highly publicized
    press conference with Pichincha Fiscal (State Attorney
    General equivalent) Washington Pesantez, Correa held over his
    head, with Truman-like aplomb, a late April La Hora headline,
    "Correa Assaults the Junta Bancaria", referring to what La
    Hora perceives to be heavy-handedness on Correa's part
    towards the banking sector.  While this article is not at the
    center of the law-suit against La Hora, Correa used it as an
    example of the kind of "irresponsibility and falsehood" that
    he will not tolerate, suggesting the possibility of
    additional actions of this kind.

    ¶3.  (U)  Observers trace the genesis of the continually
    escalating confrontation with the press to the Ecuadorian
    Newspaper Editor Association's (AEDEP) editorial entitled
    "Intolerable", which appeared several weeks ago, on the front
    page of eleven major Ecuadorian dailies -- an unprecedented
    example of coordinated press rebuke to a sitting president
    (reftel).  The editorial, which placed blame for the recent
    congressional impasse on all branches of the Ecuadorian
    government, was nonetheless critical of President Correa's
    unwillingness to intervene and stabilize the situation.  In
    the weeks following the editorial, Monica Chuji, Presidential
    Palace spokesperson, embarked on a series of spats with the
    media, most notably with La Hora, accusing them of
    inappropriately criticizing President Correa.

    ¶4.  (U)  Soon after the demonstrations in front of Congress,
    on March 9, 2007 La Hora published an editorial "Official
    Vandalism" which criticized the raucous behavior
    "pro-government groups" during demonstrations in front of the
    congress and suggested that Correa did little to stop them.
    The Correa administration reacted with outrage and Chuji
    publicly called for an apology, which was never given.  A
    series of open letters between Chuji and the editors of La
    Hora were published, adding fuel to the fire.  Other major
    dailies throughout Ecuador supported La Hora in its ongoing
    battle with Chuji.  With La Hora willingly playing with the
    government in its game of brinkmanship,  Correa filed suit
    against La Hora on May 5.  Since the law-suit was filed,
    AEDEP has actively defended La Hora's right to publish the
    editorial in question, further irritating President Correa
    and his spokespeople.

    OTHER MEDIA CONCERNS

    ¶5.  (C)  The back and forth between the Correa Administration
    and the media is being played out in a somewhat tense
    environment for media organizations.  The government has
    publicly confirmed that it is in the early stages of
    developing state-owned and run national television and radio
    stations and one or more newspaper outlets.  While details of
    the formats and management of these outlets are still
    unclear, many agree that the move will involve the
    "reallocation" of television or radio frequencies.  Many in
    the media are also consumed with rumors that the government
    may be interested in taking over the nation's oldest
    newspaper, (Guayaquil's "Telegrafo.")  Correa has also
    singled out various outlets and even specific journalists for
    harsh criticism in recent weeks during his long and rambling
    Saturday radio addresses.  It has also been noted in
    journalistic circles that La Hora's director, Francisco
    Vivanco, was Sub-Minister of Government in the administration
    of President Leon Fabres Cordero, whose center-right PSC
    party does not support President Correa.  PSC deputies were
    amongst the 57 dismissed by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal on
    March 8.

    COMMENT

    ¶6.  (C)  In January 2007, during embassy-sponsored workshops
    on freedom of the press, embassy contacts in the media noted
    that candidate Correa had not threatened "direct action"
    against the media and that they hoped that trend would
    continue.  Correa's law suit against La Hora, his criticism
    of AEDEP's support for the law-suit, and his constant
    anti-press rhetoric (referring to the media owners as
    "corrupt mafiosos"), represent a disturbing new pattern.  No
    doubt emboldened by high approval ratings, Correa is
    determined to prevent the media from tarnishing him or his
    agenda in any way.  Embassy contacts in the media fear that
    his intimidation tactics may result, at a minimum, in
    self-censorship on the part of the press.  It is too early to
    tell if the free and robust press Ecuador currently enjoys is
    in jeopardy, but the situation requires diligent monitoring.
    Various press and civil society organizations have expressed
    concern that relatively archaic "insult laws" still remain on
    the Ecuadorian books.  Correa does run the risk of having an
    antagonized and bullied press turn on him if, as was the case
    with so many of his predecessors, his political fortunes
    sour.  But for now, he is clearly willing to take that risk
    and run with it.
    JEWELL

`