The Ecuadorian government Tuesday justified
the seizure of three television stations and more than 100 other companies
belonging to Grupo Isaias, as an attempt to recover more than 661 million
dollars in debt.
Grupo Isaias is one of the largest business groups in Ecuador. Some of its owners live in the United States and are wanted for fraud and tax
evasion in Ecuador.
Police occupied the offices of TC Television, the largest station in the
country , Gamavision and CN3, in the early hours of Tuesday.
Carlos Bravo, manager of the government's Deposit Guarantee Agency that ordered
the move, denied that the seizures were a violation of freedom of expression or
were an electoral ploy ahead of a national referendum on the draft of a new constitution.
He promised that jobs would not be lost and that the affected media would
continue to operate with independence.
Also on Tuesday, Wilma Salgado took oath as the new economy minister in the
presence of President Rafael Correa, replacing Fausto Ortiz, who refused to
sign the seizure warrant because he disagreed with its legal underpinnings,
according to media reports.
"The disposition to confiscate is an administrative order with which
workers' stability is safeguarded," Salgado said as she took the oath of
office.
The business group's debts allegedly stem from the country's financial crisis
of 2000, which resulted in the bankruptcy of 60 per cent of Ecuador's financial sector.
The seizure of the television channels was relatively peaceful, but officials
met with angry protests from 400 media employees who feared for their jobs.
Gamavision president Carlos Dassum denounced the action as an attack on freedom
of expression.
TC Television employees said in a statement that the move is similar to the
controversial closure of RCTV by Venezuelan authorities last year.
On Saturday, President Correa had promised there would be no action taken
against the channels, dpa reported.