Ecuadorian diplomacy fails in his attempt to change the IACHR reforms

Ricardo Patino

The efforts of the Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino, did not obtain the expected results in the first meeting, held yesterday, with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) inWashington (United States). The regional proposal failed and immediately the Ecuadorian president, Rafael Correa and his team proposed to carry out at the Organization of American States (OAS) serious reforms to the Inter-American System of Human Rights(ISHR).

The main intention of the proposed reforms was to limit the work of the Inter-American Commission (IACHR), an organization that complicated the actions of Correa’s regime against the media and journalists. It also sought to prevent that the Inter-American Commission requested precautionary measures as it did in 2012 to block the $ 40 million judgment against  ElUniverso newspaper and its executives, who he wanted to sentence to three-years in prison.

To achieve its objectives, Ecuador hoped to have the support of 17 other OAS members and handcuff the IACHR. Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino traveled the hemisphere looking for support. While President Correa asked in person to members of the American Convention on Human Rights to limit the IACHR. But his proposal was diacarded completely, and the OAS member countries were in favor of maintaining such measures.

Finally, before taking any decision regarding the precautionary measures, the Commission decided to ask the states their opinion and will make a report explaining the analysis to whether or not to accept the proposal of Ecuador.