By: Daniel Nardini

In an ironic twist, Ecuadoran journalist Emilio Palacio was given political asylum by the United States. As the world watches what is unfolding in Britain with the fate of Julian Assange holed up in the Ecuadoran embassy over the issue of press and information freedom, the same thing is happening with Palacio as he was forced to escape from his native Ecuador. Why is Palacio’s case relevant? In an article Palacio had written for the Ecuadoran newspaper El Universario, Palacio described an incident where Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa had ordered the police to fire on hospital workers. Further, Palacio asserted that Correa was assuming dictatorial control over the country. This proved to be too much, and Correa brought a lawsuit against Palacio and the newspaper.

The case was never in doubt—the courts all ruled that the journalists had “defamed” the government and thus Palacio was sentenced to three years in prison. But before he could be sent to jail, Palacio escaped to the United States. Many Ecuadoran journalists like Palacio have been targeted by the Ecuadoran government for their criticism of Correa, and many have been jailed as a means to silence Correa’s critics. Palacio, being one of the better known journalists in the country, had become a thorn in the side of the Ecuadoran government. The fact that he is now a political exile in America may have a detrimental affect on journalism in his native country. Other Ecuadoran journalists may have to really watch over their shoulder if the government is watching over them. While the Ecuadoran government is protecting Julian Assange in the name of “press freedom,” it does not seem to be doing much to assure press freedom in Ecuador itself.