Ecuadorian President honors exiled journalist for defending press freedom 

It is no secret that freedom of the press is under attack in Latin America, and Human Rights Watch’s World Report 2022 recently warned that “Latin America is facing some of its gravest human rights challenges in decades.”

“Latin America is experiencing such an alarming reversal of basic freedoms. Even democratically elected leaders attacked independent civil society, the free press and judicial independence,” warned HRW America division acting director Tamara Taraciuk Broner.

But as the governments of countries like Mexico, Cuba and Nicaragua continue to silence and systematically detain journalists, Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso took a stand for press freedom and awarded Ecuadorian journalist Emilio Palacio on Wednesday with the National Order of Merit “for his tireless fight for freedom of expression in Ecuador,” El Comercio reported.

"It is an immense honor to decorate Emilio Palacio, whom I admire greatly for defending one of the most sacred rights: freedom of expression," Lasso wrote on Twitter. "Emilio has finally returned to his country, after years of persecution, to an Ecuador where the other is respected. We welcome him back.”

Es un inmenso honor condecorar a Emilio Palacio, a quien admiro mucho por defender uno de los derechos más sagrados: la libertad de expresión.

Emilio finalmente ha vuelto a su país, luego de años de persecución, a un Ecuador donde se respeta al otro. Le damos la bienvenida. pic.twitter.com/XSoWlOkiNc

— Guillermo Lasso (@LassoGuillermo) March 23, 2022

“I am pleased to present this award in recognition of his career as a journalist and citizen, who risked his own well-being and that of his family in defense of freedom of the press and democracy. This award also symbolizes our recognition of all those journalists who have always stood up for freedom of the press and democracy,” Lasso added.

Palacio was a prominent journalist and the opinion editor of Ecuador’s El Universo until a feud with former President Rafael Correa forced him into exile in the United States for more than ten years.

After Correa staged a coup in Sep. 2010, Palacio published an opinion piece titled “No to Lies” in which he alleged that the president had ordered the military to fire on a hospital where Correa was allegedly being held captive, accusing the leader of “war crimes.”

Shortly after, Correa filed a private lawsuit against Palacio and the directors of the paper, claiming they had written “accusations” and “slander” about him. Although Correa ultimately dropped the charges, Palacio and three other newspaper executives were sentenced to three years and prison and a fine of $40 million, payable directly to the president – prompting the Human Rights Foundation to send a letter to Ecuador’s highest court urging them to overturn the “abhorrent” decision.

Palacio fled Ecuador on August 24, 2011 in order to avoid incarceration and was granted political asylum in the United States.

"I take this medal, which I accept with so much pride, as a medal to journalism, which for more than 10 years fought to defend a sacred principle: freedom of expression, which is the only tool we have to defend our rights. It is that right that allows us to defend our rights," Palacio said according to an Ecuadorian government press release.