Attack on journalists in Ecuador
The Latin American Council of Social Sciences joins the concern of academic organizations linked to communication and communication research at the international level regarding the recent attacks suffered by several journalists in the exercise of their work in Ecuador and asks the government authorities to guarantee their physical integrity and freedom to work.
Full text of the statement
Academic organizations working for communication and communication research at the international level express our concern about the aggression suffered by several journalists in the exercise of their work in Ecuador, in the context of the citizen protests that have extended for 21 days, and we make a strong public appeal for the State, central government, public force and citizens in general, to guarantee the physical integrity of journalists, the coverage and dissemination of information.
This is based on:
-The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which in its article 19 establishes that everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression, including freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
-The Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, in its paragraphs: 4. Access to information held by the State is a fundamental right of individuals. States are obligated to guarantee the exercise of this right. This principle only admits exceptional limitations that must be established beforehand by law in cases where there is a real and imminent danger that threatens national security in democratic societies. 5. Prior censorship, interference, or direct or indirect pressure on any expression, opinion, or information disseminated through any oral, written, artistic, visual, or electronic means of communication must be prohibited by law. Restrictions on the free circulation of ideas and opinions, as well as the arbitrary imposition of information and the creation of obstacles to the free flow of information, violate the right to freedom of expression.
Open dialogue and the pursuit of the common good are the only ways to resolve the serious conflicts affecting citizens, so we call for the conditions of negotiation and decision-making to be created for the benefit of the population.
ABOIC-ALAIC-ALER–AMARC ALC–ASSIBERCOM–CIESPAL–CLACSO–FELAFACS–INTERCOM–SIGNIS- WACC AL
