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The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Ecuadorian authorities on March 20, 2026 to swiftly and comprehensively investigate the shooting of journalist José Vinces Oviedo in the southern city of Huaquillas, a border town with Peru that has become one of Ecuador's most dangerous locations due to the presence of criminal organisations. According to CPJ, Oviedo was shot after being lured to a location by what appeared to be a false news tip.
The Attack
José Vinces Oviedo, a journalist based in Huaquillas, received what CPJ describes as a reported false news tip and was shot when he went to the location to report. The circumstances suggest a targeted attack, using a fabricated journalistic lead as the mechanism to bring the journalist into a vulnerable position. CPJ has not confirmed the full details of Oviedo's condition, but the organisation's alert underscores the lethal risk faced by journalists in the region.
Ecuador: A Rapidly Deteriorating Environment for Journalists
Ecuador has experienced a dramatic deterioration in public security over the past three years, driven by the expansion of criminal networks linked to drug trafficking organisations operating along the Colombia-Peru corridor. Huaquillas and other border towns have been particularly affected. Journalists who report on crime, corruption, or the activities of organised criminal groups face systematic threats, and several have been killed in recent years.
CPJ documented a significant increase in attacks on journalists in Ecuador in 2024 and 2025, including physical assaults, death threats, and forced exile. The use of a false news tip as a lure marks a particularly calculating and premeditated escalation in methods used to target journalists, which CPJ says reflects the growing sophistication of criminal organisations in silencing press coverage of their activities.
We urge authorities to swiftly and credibly investigate the shooting of journalist José Vinces Oviedo in Huaquillas, determine whether the attack was connected to his work, and bring those responsible to justice.
Committee to Protect Journalists, March 20, 2026
CPJ's Call to Action
CPJ is demanding that Ecuadorian authorities treat the attack as potentially linked to Oviedo's journalistic activity, pursue all investigative leads, and prosecute those responsible. The organisation is also calling for stronger protection mechanisms for journalists working in high-risk areas of Ecuador, including the provision of security resources and the development of rapid-response protocols for journalists facing imminent threats.
Source: Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
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