Research Guides: International News: Ecuador

Researcher

Hannah Pogson

General Country Overview

Ecuador proclaimed its independence on August 10, 1809, from Spain, with full recognition on May 24, 1822. The capital is Quito, and the official language is Spanish. The population is approximately 18 million, and the currency is the United States dollar (USD). Located in South America, Ecuador is known for its biodiversity and the Galápagos Islands.

News Sources

Metro Ecuador
This source is reported to have less bias than other sources. It leans slightly left, and mostly focuses on social media, tabloids and other brief forms of media. While they use reputable sources, their content is not always deep due to the forms of media they rely on. The site is primarily in Spanish, but it is possible to translate directly on the page. Metro Ecuador is owned by an international news business.
El Universo
This source is reported to have relatively centered but slightly right leaning bias. They have a clean fact checking record, and use reputable sources. El Universo covers national and international news and politics, Guayaquil news, sports, business, and entertainment. The site is primarily in Spanish, but it is possible to translate directly on the page. El Universo is privately owned.
El Monde - Ecuador
This source is reported to have relatively centered but slight to moderate left leaning bias. They have a clean fact checking record, and use reputable sources. They are a daily news and politics reporting site. The majority of the company is owned by a Czech Businessman whose fortune was made from fossil fuels.
El País - Ecuador
This source is reported to have relatively centered but slight to moderate left leaning bias. They have a clean fact checking record, and use reputable sources. El País is an international source with different biases in each nation or region where they report. It is owned by an international news business.

Political Climate and Media Biases

In recent news, Ecuador held an election on February 9, 2025, between Incumbent President Daniel Noboa, who represents a center-right political stance, and Luisa González, who aligns with the political left. President Noboa gained a slightly higher percentage of the votes, but because neither candidate secured an outright majority (over 50%), a runoff election is scheduled for April 13, 2025. As expected, most current news coverage is focused on this election.

Ecuador is ranked #110 in the 2024 RSF World Press Freedom Index. The government owns a significant portion of the media, including radio, television, and print outlets, which can lead to content that aligns with governmental perspectives. Conversely, private media outlets often exhibit biases reflecting their political leanings.

Because the government is so invested in media and news coverage, there tend to be consequences when reporting does not favor the government. There is also reported violence and life-altering threats made against public interest reporters, which de-incentivizes investigative or critical journalism.

Academic Sources

BBC
This source supports the claim that the government is involved in and has regulations about journalism.
CPJ
This source supports the claims about violence and threats against journalists in Ecuador.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Summary of Ecuador's history.
Media Bias Fact Check
This source was used to analyze the bias in the various news sources, and history of the sources.