BOGOTA - Fifty three Colombian newspapers, all members of the Colombian Association of Newspaper Editors and Media (Andiarios), will publish simultaneously on Thursday the opinion column written by journalist Emilio Palacio, 'No to lies', which Ecuador presdient Rafael Correa used to unjustly persecute Palacio and three directors of El Universo.
This was confirmed by the director of the organization, Nohora Sanin, who accepted the request of the director of the newspaper El Tiempo in Bogota, Roberto Pombo."We found a very important initiative and put it to the attention of all the papers of the Association. It was fitting that we unite as an act of protest. "
Sanin also said they want to "call attention to the plight against the excesses of power that are aimed at silencing the press and opinion." In an interview with WRadio of Colombia, Sanin said the media will print the facts and then simultaneously re-publish Palacio's article tomorrow.
International reactions against the judgment against El Universo have not stopped since the verdict was upheld by Ecuador's High Court last week. Most of the largest international news organizations and newspapers around the world have published condemnations of the verdict, which is considered to be an attempt to silence dissent against Correa.
Since the verdict, the director of El Universo, Carlos Perez, was granted asylum by the Embassy of Panama, and his brothers, Nicholas and Cesar Perez, are staying temporarily in Miami.
El Mercurio of Chile, in an editorial on Sunday, said that "this sentence is grossly disproportionate and brutal blow to freedom of speech and freedom of the press, whose primary defender should be the government of any democratic country."
LeSoir of Belgium noted that international human rights associations and organizations defending press freedom have described President Correa as a "politically aggressive, vindictive, ready to use legal proceedings to silence opposition and restrict freedoms. "
The British publication The Economist noted that "Rafael Correa has pledged to defend freedom of expression with his life. In practice, however, has been chipped away at press freedom in his country," adding "the President has moved to outright censorship."
In a press release, the Ecuadorian ambassador in Spain, Aminta Buenaño, expressed "regrets that the information published by several media outlets have questioned the freedom of expression in Ecuador when there has been a conviction for a crime, not because they are journalists or 'politically persecuted'."
Buenaño added that "freedom of expression is not an absolute right that stands above the right of personal honor."
According to a report by Fundamedios, supposed government supporters have started a campaign to defend Correa against the negative international press. In a statement, Fundamedios stated that "a group of supporters of President Rafael Correa, who are known under the name 'correistas.com', started a campaign called 'No more attacks on Ecuador.'" The group stated that "we can not allow certain media interests worldwide to deteriorate Ecuador's image."
On Tuesday, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights ordered the sentences to be suspended for the four journalists pending further review.
Translated from a report in Spanish at La Hora.
