Correa Rejects US Interference in Ecuador, FM asks Washington to review its own human rights conduct

[Catherina]

Correa Rejects US Interference in Ecuador

Quito, May 3 (Prensa Latina) Today Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa rejected the US government's interference in matters that are only Ecuador's responsibility.

He also dismissed criticism by Freedom House which places Ecuador on a list of countries with little freedom of the press, and described that institution as an organization of the U.S. extreme right.

This week a spokesman for the U.S. State Department, Patrick Ventrell, asked Ecuador to maintain freedom of the press as a component of a democratic society and provide security to journalists. Ventrell made particular reference to three opposition journalists who allegedly received "harsh personal attacks and discredit attempts".

...

Correa also recalled that in Ecuador there is no death penalty like in other countries that claim to defend human rights, and said that if Washington asks to protect the three journalists, he will ask the United States to protect the life of the soldier Bradley Manning.

...

For his part, Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo Patiño called absurd and disrespectful the statement made by the spokesman of the US State Department and asked Washington to review its human rights conduct.

...

http://www.prensa-latina.cu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1375921&Itemid=2

[Judi Lynn]

1. What the right refuses to admit is that the owners of Latin American newspapers

are the ones favored by the fascist who ran the countries with US complete support and backing, squashing their leftist prey like bugs all these many, MANY years. Those organs of communication were complicit in the complete whitewashing of crimes after crimes after crimes against humanity, against genocide, against torture, while mangling the truth daily, and keeping ALL reference to anything beyond right-wing propaganda completely out of sight and out of mind.

These journalistic imposters are the criminals themselves.

There is no mystery here other than how long this charade can go on without these people getting called on their treachery, and put out of business. They are not journalists, they are weapons against the people of Latin America. Look at what they've done to them already.

A-holes.

[newfie11]

2. Good for correa

He is absolutely right. The US needs to butt out of South America!

[bemildred]

3. Gitmo Gitmo Gitmo Gitmo Gitmo.

And that's just one of many. End the American Gulags and then we can talk.

[bahrbearian]

4. Do as I say you , not as I do.

[Zorro]

5. Correa is not only intolerant of criticism in Ecuador

he's also intolerant of foreign criticism of his efforts to muzzle the free press.

The difference is that he can't prosecute foreign critics as he can his domestic critics.

[ocpagu]

7. LOL

"Free Press"...

Good one.

[Zorro]

8. I take it from your LOL

that you do not approve of a free press.

[ocpagu]

9. What you call "free press"...

... is what I call paid propagandists.

[Zorro]

10. Call it whatever you want

It doesn't dismiss the fact that Correa prosecutes media critics.

[ocpagu]

11. And I hope he continues to do that.

Why shouldn't he? I ignore a single reason to believe media companies should be above the law.

[Zorro]

12. I daresay you would sing a different tune

if you were prosecuted for criticizing your government.

[ocpagu]

13. They were prosecuted...

... because they falsely accused Correa of committing crimes. Injury, defamation and calumny are crimes in most countries ruled by the Civil Law - including Ecuador.

Nothing to do with "criticism".

[Zorro]

14. Wrong. They were prosecuted because they called Correa a "dictator"

And here's the article that led to their prosecution.

http://www.eluniverso.com/2011/02/06/1/1363/mentiras.html

[ocpagu]

15. Nope. Nothing to do with the word "dictator".

That's the part you insist in ignoring:

"El Dictador debería recordar, por último, y esto es muy importante, que con el indulto, en el futuro, un nuevo presidente, quizás enemigo suyo, podría llevarlo ante una corte penal por haber ordenado fuego a discreción y sin previo aviso contra un hospital lleno de civiles y gente inocente."

"The dictator should remember, by last, and this is very important, that with the indult, in the future, a new president, possibly a personal enemy of his, could take him to a criminal court for having ordered, with discretion and without warning, opening fire against a hospital full of civilians and innocents."

The newspaper accused Correa, without any proof, of ordering the murder of civilians.

That is a crime.

[Zorro]

16. People were killed as a result of Correa's arrogance

He went before an assembly of police and called them crooks and thieves, ripped open his shirt, bared his chest, and dared them to shoot him. And then when they took him up on his challenge, he retreated to a hospital to be rescued by a commando team who shot their way into and out of the facility.

The culpability of Correa's actions in the deaths of civilians caught in the crossfire is something he wants to avoid airing in public, and why he prosecuted the press over these allegations. It prevents him having to answer to the public, and gives him time to obscure any evidence of his responsibility.

It's also why there's the ongoing historical revisionism to declare the events a US-supported "coup". That lame attempt at misdirection also takes the heat off Correa, so that he can continue to be promoted as an enlightened leader by the usual motormouths.

Correa clearly is incapable of handling press criticism, and thus suppresses press criticism. That's not a hallmark of democracy; it's an example of a dictator.

[ocpagu]

17. Cut the crap.

You're not going anywhere with this bullshit of blaming Correa for the consequences of a coup attempt AGAINST him... there's nothing more disgusting than blaming the victim.

The newspaper accused him of ordering fire against civilians. That's a very grave accusation, and they had absolutely NOTHING, nothing to back their statement on courts. They were prosecuted. They lost.

Pretty much a regular process. There's absolutely nothing "dictatorial" about it. At least, not for those who understand that in a true democracy media COMPANIES have to obey the law, as any other individuals and companies. Those who think corporatocracy is the best form of government, of course, will defend privileges for companies - such as impunity when they commit crimes.

[Judi Lynn]

18. Bless you for even attempting to speak to something this bizarre.

Clearly, a conservative faction feels it is fine if it wants to spin astounding lies, smears, vicious gossip, and there should be no way to interfere with their crimes.

How that event EVER got twisted into the circus described regarding the hospital is inconceivable. No one, even the bad spinners could ever believe that ####. No one anywhere is that stupid.

I feel even dumber for having read it!

Thank you for your comments.

[Zorro]

20. Feeling dumber obviously is a recurring state for you

You certainly express it repeatedly in your posts.

[Zorro]

19. Are you disputing that Correa did not invite the police to take a shot at him?

There were plenty of eyewitnesses to those events, whether you care to accept those facts or not. A serious investigation would have revealed Correa's own culpability in the matters, which is why he chose the alternative path to prosecute the press instead.

Correa is no model politician, just another prickly pipsqueak who cannot abide criticism. Even his own brother thinks he sucks.

Speaking of bullshit, coup groupies -- "Coupies" -- find a US boogeyman behind every political conflict in Latin America with no evidence whatsoever. Doesn't stop them from repeating that unsupported twaddle at every opportunity.

[Peace Patriot]

6. What Freedumb House means by "free speech" is no speech for the many,

and all speech for the corpo-fascists, plus the 'freedom' to riot, murder and overthrow the government.

I have to laugh when these corpo-fascist institutions cry "free speech." When RCTV, Globovision and the Venezuelan fascists kidnapped Venezuela's elected president, Hugo Chavez, and suspended the Constitution, the courts, the National Assembly and all civil rights, THEY ALSO FORBADE MEMBERS OF CHAVEZ'S GOVERNMENT FROM SPEAKING ON TV!

No speech for the many. Not even the government, which speaks for the many, may speak. All speech for the corpo-fascists.