''El Universo'' ( Spanish for "The Universe") is one of the largest daily newspapers in

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar language, Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechuan ...

. It was founded in 1921 and the first edition was published September 16 of the same year. Its headquarters are located in

Guayaquil , motto = Por Guayaquil Independiente en, For Independent Guayaquil , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Ecuador#South America , pushpin_re ...

. The newspaper has been published since its foundation with only small interruptions during the

dictatorship A dictatorship is a form of government which is characterized by a leader, or a group of leaders, which holds governmental powers with few to no limitations on them. The leader of a dictatorship is called a dictator. Politics in a dictatorship are ...

. The founder was Ismael Pérez Pazmiño. ''El Universo'' is a member of ''Asociación Ecuatoriana de Editores de Periódicos (AEDEP)'', ''Sociedad Interamericana de Prensa (SIP)'' and the '' World Association of Newspapers (WAN).''

Sections

* Política – Politics * Economía – Economics * Sucesos – Crime * Migración – Migration * País – News from the provinces * Internacionales- International news * Marcador – Sports * El Gran Guayaquil – Guayaquil News * Vida – Life style * En Escena – Show business

Supplements

* Sambo, a magazine-style supplement published monthly for Samborondón. * Mi Mundo, children supplement published on Saturdays. * Negocios, economics supplement published on Saturdays. * La Revista, a magazine-style supplement on Sunday.

2010 libel suit

In 2010, Ecuadorian president

Rafael Correa Rafael Vicente Correa Delgado (; born 6 April 1963), known as Rafael Correa, is an Ecuadorian politician and economist who served as President of Ecuador from 2007 to 2017. The leader of the PAIS Alliance political movement from its foundation ...

filed a criminal libel complaint against ''El Universo'''s directors and editor, Emilio Palacio. The complaint cited a column in which Palacio stated that Correa had permitted soldiers to fire on a hospital to suppress a violent police protest. A temporary magistrate who heard the case granted the president US$42 million in damages. The decision was upheld by the Supreme Court on 17 February 2012, but was suspended by the

Inter-American Commission on Human Rights The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (the IACHR or, in the three other official languages Spanish, French, and Portuguese CIDH, ''Comisión Interamericana de los Derechos Humanos'', ''Commission Interaméricaine des Droits de l'Homme'', ...

four days later pending further review. The decision caused significant international criticism from newspapers, human rights groups, and press freedom organizations. An editorial in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' described the verdict as "a staggering, shameful blow to the country’s

democracy Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation (" direct democracy"), or to choose go ...

", while

Reporters Without Borders Reporters Without Borders (RWB; french: Reporters sans frontières; RSF) is an international non-profit and non-governmental organization with the stated aim of safeguarding the right to freedom of information. It describes its advocacy as fou ...

called it "draconian" and a "grave legal precedent". Correa, in contrast, described the verdict as a blow to the "dictatorship" of a corrupt press. On 27 February 2012, Correa pardoned the four defendants, stating that he had "never wanted this trial" but only wanted the public to know the truth. Later that year, the newspaper was awarded the inter-American Maria Moors Cabot prize. The citation read, "Even in the face of Correa’s bullying and the threat of incarceration, ''El Universo'' and many other Ecuadoran journalists have courageously defended their right and obligation to speak out for a democratic society."

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Universo Spanish-language newspapers Newspapers published in Ecuador Newspapers published in Guayaquil Publications established in 1921 Maria Moors Cabot Prize winners Mass media in Guayaquil 1921 establishments in Ecuador