Ecuador: Violation of religious liberty in art and medicine

According to a report by El Comercio on 2 August 2017, a large mural painted by a group called "Mujeres Creando (Women creating)" on display at the Metropolitan Cultural Center of Quito has been moved "for administrative reasons". The scenes depicted in this "El Mural Milagroso Altar Blasfemo" were deliberately made to shock and disgust anyone of traditional Christian faith. In a separate development, the Ecuadorian Health Ministry released a statement on 4 August 2017, requiring hospital doctors to retain professional secrecy when giving hospital treatment to women who have just undergone an illegal abortion. This means that doctors should not report the abortion (a criminal offense in Ecuador) to the authorities. Rossana Ramirez, persecution analyst at World Watch Research, explains: "The blasphemous mural is not being taken away for good, but simply relocated. This is not an apologetic measure out of respect for the religious feelings of the Christian population; instead an administrative reason was given which simply claimed that the move was needed because the Bolivian artists did not have the necessary authorization." Rossana Ramirez adds: "Concerning the Health Ministry"s statement, it is clear that women should naturally be provided with the best health care available. However, by requiring confidentiality in these cases of post-abortion treatment, a Christian doctor can be forced to act against his religious, personal and professional principles. Both this and the above incident show that the state authorities are being increasingly affected by secular influences in Ecuador - at the expense of the freedom of religion of Christians."