Journalists in Ecuador Back Decision Against US-Funded NGO
Journalists in Ecuador Back Decision Against US-Funded NGO
Published 13 September 2015
Some local journalists say Fundamedios showed a “bias” in their operations and deserved to have their license removed.
Two journalist guilds in Ecuador have expressed support for the legal action taken by the National Communications Secretariat (Secom) against the NGO Fundamedios, when the government body decided to move forward with dissolving the organization's operating license.
The Journalists Association of Guayas and the National Federation of Journalists of Ecuador (FENAPE) expressed support for the move, saying Fundamedios deviated from its founding principles, according to local media Sunday.
Last week, Secom decided to withdraw the Fundamedio's license saying it had deviated from its stated mission and continuously intervened in political matters – which is prohibited by both Ecuadorean law and the organization's own internal statutes.
According to Secom, Fundamedios engaged in “partisan political activities” by sharing opposition-linked material on its social media accounts, publishing articles unrelated to its stated mission and inserting itself into political debates in the country in support of opposition government figures.
Fundamedios has received tens of thousands from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Endowment for Democracy, two U.S. government institutions that have been accused of funding opposition groups in Latin America.
More:
http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Journalists-in-Ecuador-Back-Decision-Against-US-Funded-NGO-20150913-0027.html
