[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Pages 4501-4502]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          ELECTION IN ECUADOR

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, article 2 of chapter I of the Charter of 
the Organization of American States, of which Ecuador is a party, 
states that one of the OAS's purposes is ``to promote and consolidate 
representative democracy, with due respect for the principle of 
nonintervention.''
  I mention this because the second round of Ecuador's Presidential 
election is scheduled for April 2, less than 2 weeks away. In the first 
round, Lenin Moreno, who is supported by outgoing President Correa, 
received 39 percent and his opponent, Guillermo Lasso, received 28 
percent, so it is a hotly contested election.
  But democracy is about more than elections. There is no institution 
more fundamental to democracy than a free and independent press. A free 
press helps protect the rule of law, to ensure that no person or group 
is above the rules and procedures that govern a democratic society. A 
free press helps ensure transparency to prod governments to be honest 
and accountable to their citizens.
  Although wavering at times, Ecuador has a history of democratic 
government of which its citizens can be proud. It has a long tradition 
of recognizing the importance of freedom of the press. Ecuador's first 
constitution, written in 1830, stipulated that ``every citizen can 
express their thoughts and publish them freely through the press.'' 
Ecuador's 1998 constitution guaranteed the right of journalists and 
social communicators to ``seek, receive, learn, and disseminate'' 
events of general interest, with the goal of ``preserving the values of 
the community.'' Even Ecuador's current constitution protects the right 
``to voice one's opinion and express one's thinking freely and in all 
of its forms and manifestations,'' and the right to ``associate, 
assemble and express oneself freely and voluntarily.''
  Yet, since President Correa was first elected, freedom of the press 
has been under assault. He has called the independent press his 
``greatest enemy.'' He sought to intimidate and silence his critics in 
the media and civil society, like Janet Hinostroza, El Universo, 
Vanguardia, El Comercio, Xavier Bonilla, and Fundamedios. He publicly 
vilified Dr. Catalina Botero, a respected Colombian lawyer and former 
OAS Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression. He pursued criminal 
charges against columnists and newspaper owners who had criticized his 
policies. During this period, the number of state-owned media 
organizations exploded, growing from just one government-run news 
outlet to a media conglomerate that today is made up of more than a 
dozen outlets echoing the government's self-serving declarations. These 
actions are a threat to democracy, and they damaged relations with the 
United States.
  On April 2, when the people of Ecuador elect their next President, 
they alone will decide Ecuador's future. What is important at this 
stage is to ensure that the electoral process is free and fair, that 
the press can participate freely, and that the election is open to

[[Page 4502]]

international observers, including the OAS.
  Whoever wins on April 2, I hope Ecuador's next President is someone 
who genuinely believes in the freedoms of expression and association 
that are enshrined in Ecuador's Constitution. I hope he defends the 
right of a free press, an independent judiciary, and the right of civil 
society organizations to function without government interference. 
These rights are part of the foundation of the representative democracy 
referenced in the OAS Charter. The alternative is unaccountable 
government. That is, in fact, where Ecuador was heading, after 
President Correa orchestrated the adoption of a new constitution in 
order to run for reelection in 2009 and again in 2013.
  I hope the result on April 2 will signify a commitment to uphold 
Ecuador's Constitution and the beginning of a new relationship with the 
United States, based on a common devotion to the fundamental rights of 
citizens.

                          ____________________