Event Summary
On 24 September 2025, the Indigenous and Peasant Movement of Cotopaxi (MICC) and the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador denounced that the signal of the community television channel “TV MICC” was suspended by the Agency for Regulation and Control of Telecommunications (ARCOTEL) with the stated aim of “safeguarding public order and national security.” The suspension will last for 15 days in the cities of Latacunga, Salcedo, Ambato, Cevallos, Quero, Pelileo, Pillaro, and Tisaleo. This measure comes just days after the call for a national strike and social mobilizations against the national government.
Authorities have not provided further details regarding the suspension of the channel’s signal; however, ARCOTEL notified MICC that the report justifying this suspension cites intelligence report STIE-DC-BIC-004, which claims that the station’s broadcasts contained “aspects that harm national security.” This intelligence report is classified, meaning that not even MICC has access to its full content. Both the Indigenous movement and other community media outlets, as well as Fundamedios—an organization dedicated to defending rights and freedoms of expression and the press—have expressed their rejection of this case of censorship and state persecution.
In response to the suspension of TV MICC, advocacy actions should prioritize exerting pressure before judicial bodies or international mechanisms such as the IACHR and the Special Rapporteurs on freedom of expression, accompanied by a legal strategy to challenge the measure before the Constitutional Court. In addition, actions should be developed to support community media that may be exposed to such acts of censorship, as well as Indigenous journalists. Finally, efforts should focus on migrating to alternative broadcasting platforms that can mitigate the impact of future suspensions, ensuring that the voice of the Indigenous movement maintains channels of dissemination in the face of potential new instances of censorship.