Ecuadorian TV Station Suspended for Covering a Protest
over the cut in the fuel subsidy
By The Committee to Protect Journalists
HAVANA TIMES – Ecuador’s media regulator should immediately lift its suspension of community station TV MICC and ensure that media outlets can freely cover the news without fear of reprisal, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday.
On September 23, the state Telecommunications Regulation and Control Agency (ARCOTEL) issued a 15-day suspension against TV MICC, operated by the Indigenous and Peasant Movement of Cotopaxi in central Cotopaxi province, following its coverage of ongoing protests sparked by the government’s elimination of diesel fuel subsidies.
ARCOTEL said its decision was based on a classified document from the government’s intelligence agency, arguing “aspects” of TV MICC’s coverage would “harm national security” and a suspension would “safeguard” public order, outlets reported. The channel is currently unavailable.
“It is deeply troubling that Ecuadorian authorities have suspended TV MICC’s signal over allegations of biased coverage of the national protests,” said Cristina Zahar, CPJ’s Latin America program coordinator, in São Paulo. “Community media outlets provide a vital public service by reporting on matters of public interest. Silencing TV MICC for fulfilling this duty not only undermines press freedom but also deprives the public of essential information.”
Amid road blockages and clashes between anti-riot police and protesters, President Daniel Noboa on Wednesday cancelled his trip to the U.N. General Assembly in New York, describing the demonstrations as “acts of terrorism disguised as protests.”
Diego Vaca, TV MICC’s communications director, told CPJ that the station’s suspension amounts to government censorship. He said TV MICC closely covers Ecuador’s Indigenous communities and noted that the protests are being led by the country’s main Indigenous coalition, the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador.
Vaca told CPJ, “This was a political act by an increasingly authoritarian government.”
A 2023 CPJ special report found that political turmoil and an insecurity have led to increased attacks on journalists, leading some to self-censor or leave the country.
CPJ’s text messages to ARCOTEL asking about the national security concerns of TV MICC’s protest coverage did not receive a reply.