Ecuador leads self-censorship in the region, according to survey
The 2016 report of the Latinobarometer Corporation ranks Ecuador as the country with more self-censorship to criticize. 34% of its citizens perceive they have the freedom to do so.
The report contains results of a survey conducted in the region. Generally, it indicates that in Latin America half of the population feels that in 2016 they have the freedom to criticize (51%); a third says that sometimes they are able to criticize and 20% says they never or almost never can.
Self-censorship, according to the conclusions, was a little modified (10 points) in the last decade. It indicates that Latin American cultures exercise their capacity to criticize with weakness, and ties this with the level of education.
It is noted that the protests spread in Latin America since 2010 respond to that self-censorship, in which the anonymity of the mass allows to overcome fear and freely express.
The Latinobarometer applied 20,204 interviews in 18 countries in May and June 2016. The board of directors of the Corporation is composed of Chilean scholars/politicians of Social Sciences. Including former ministers, senators and former ambassadors of leftist governments.