Ecuador: PEN International and PEN Ecuador alarmed by deteriorating freedom of expression environment
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‘When threats, smear campaigns, harassment and killings become part of the everyday environment in which journalists work, it is not only those who report the news who are silenced: society as a whole is deprived of its right to know the truth’, said Burhan Sonmez, President of PEN International.
15 September 2026: PEN International and PEN Ecuador are following with deep concern the recent attacks on freedom of expression in Ecuador. Between January and June 2026, the organisation Fundamedios documented at least 100 attacks on freedom of expression. These included threats, digital and physical attacks, stigmatising discourse, censorship, legal proceedings and restrictions on access to information. This deterioration follows an especially deadly year: in 2025, at least six journalists and media workers were killed in circumstances potentially connected to their work. At least one media worker has also been killed in 2026.
We express particular concern over the case of Roberto Aguilar, a prominent columnist and political analyst who was dismissed from Diario Expreso on 12 August 2026. His final column, published that same morning, questioned the conduct of a senior government official. Aguilar has stated that his dismissal resulted from government pressure on the newspaper’s publishing company to remove critical journalists.
PEN International and PEN Ecuador recall that Articles 66 and 384 of the Ecuadorian Constitution recognise the right to freely hold and express opinions and establish that public communication policies must fully respect freedom of expression and the rights enshrined in international human rights instruments.
‘It is undeniable that freedom of expression has always been a driving force behind social progress. The exchange of ideas, tolerance and mutual respect have formed the foundations of every civilisation. In Ecuador, the free circulation of ideas is essential to addressing the entrenched and shared challenges affecting both the country and the wider region, including violence, inadequate education and mental and emotional health problems. It will also strengthen the connections needed to achieve common goals. We therefore call on the national government not to inhibit freedom of expression, but to promote and strengthen it using the public resources that belong to all Ecuadorians and everyone living in the country,’ said Carlos Vasconez, president of PEN Ecuador
Although Ecuador formally has a Mechanism for the Prevention and Protection of Journalistic Work, public reports indicate that it continues to operate without a sufficient dedicated public budget to support relocations, displacement, urgent measures and other needs of journalists at risk. The persistence of killings, threats and reprisals demonstrates that existing prevention, protection and investigative measures are insufficient.
PEN International and PEN Ecuador urge the Ecuadorian authorities to promptly and thoroughly investigate killings, threats and attacks against journalists, media workers and other media collaborators, examining in each case every possible connection with their reporting and providing effective protection. We also call on the authorities to investigate allegations of government pressure relating to Roberto Aguilar’s dismissal from Diario Expreso and to ensure that columnists and others can continue exercising their right to freedom of expression without reprisals.
Note to Editors
For more information, please contact Alicia Quiñones, Head of the Americas Region, PEN International: [email protected]
For media queries, please contact Sabrina Tucci, Head of Communications and Campaigns, PEN International: [email protected]