Ecuadorian Graffiti as an Outlet of Public Opinion

One of the biggest faults that people have had here in Ecuador and around Latin America with President Rafael Correa has been his habit of attacking the press, and not permitting negative opinions of his presidency to be published. He has sued multiple newspapers into bankruptcy, arguing that as a citizen, he has the right to sue a private company, but also using his influence as president to claim immunity to insult. Although the SIP, the organization that monitors and supports free press in Latin America, Correa has continued to keep a chokehold on the Ecuadorian press.
While driving through Ecuadorian cities, especially Quito, Otavalo, and Cuenca, i´ve seen tons of examples of politically pointed graffiti that represent the popular voice of the Ecuadorian citizen. In Otavalo a message on a wall read something like "NO to a criminalized government!" Here in Cuenca, the graffiti is more pointed to the specific issues that affect the city, including the threat of mining companies exploiting land near the city. most cuencanos worry that mining with contaminate their main sources of water. Tags usually say something along the lines of "Agua es vida, no a la mineria" or "Water is life, say no to mining." I personally love to see things like this. it ensures that even when the government strikes out against public protest, the people still put their true message out there.