Senate seeks bill to create specialized prosecutor’s offices to monitor crimes committed against journalists and human rights defenders
Mexico Impact | Positive Probability | Medium Rating CIVICUS | Repressed On November 20, the Senate appointed to committees a bill from Senator Marco Antonio Gama Basarte (Partido Acción Nacional-Oposition) aimed at creating a specialized prosecutor’s office within the Attorney General’s Office to investigate crimes against journalists and human rights defenders. The initiative gives the […]
Bill to create a 30% gender quota in civil society entities advances in Deputies
Brazil Impact | Positive Probability | Medium Rating CIVICUS | Obstructed On November 25, the Committee on Labour, Administration and Public Service of Deputies presented a draft opinion in favour of a bill for the establishment of a 30% gender quota in civil representation entities. The initiative, by deputy Soraya Santos (Liberal Party – allied […]
President Bolsonaro seeks to expand the legal use of firearms by the public force
Brazil Impact | Negative Probability | Medium Rating CIVICUS | Obstructed On November 21, President Jair Bolsonaro sent to the Chamber of Deputies a bill that expands the grounds on which law enforcement officers can use firearms in security operations and be exempted from criminal responsibilities. These rules protect the Army, Navy, Air Force and […]
A package of bills to stiffen penalties for public order offences, backed by the Executive, continues advancing in Congress
Chile Impact | Negative Probability | High Rating CIVICUS | Narrowed On December 9, the Senate’s Public Safety Committee began debating article by article the bill that tipifies as a crime the alteration of public peace through the execution of acts of violence, better known as the “anti-sacking” bill. This initiative, which has already been […]
Armed forces cleared of responsability for excessive use of force for over two weeks
Bolivia Impact | Negative Rating CIVICUS | Negative On November 15, Bolivia’s interim president, Jeanine Áñez, passed a decree clearing military personnel of criminal responsibility for having used excessive force when “acting in legitimate defense or a state of necessity”. Also, the law legitimized the participation of the armed forces in the re-establishment of public […]
A bill on lobbying and special interests advances in the Assembly
Costa Rica Impact | Positive Probability | Medium Rating CIVICUS | Open On 17 November, the Legislative Assembly Legal Affairs Committee issued a positive report on a bill on lobbying and the management of interests in public administration. The activities regulated include the drafting and approval of administrative acts and laws, as well as the […]
Congress creates committee to investigate CICIG
Guatemala Impact | Negative On September 25, Congress authorized the creation of a committee to investigate the actions of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) between 2007-2019, as well as those of public officials presumed to have engaged in unlawful acts in collaboration with CICIG. The initiative was backed by the ruling party […]
Deputies question the constitutionality of a bill on strike action
Costa Rica Impact | Negative Risk | Medium Probability | Medium On September 4, the Legislative Assembly passed in first debate a bill to ban strikes for workers providing services considered “essential”. The initiative provides that a legal strike suspends all contractual obligations of the parties, including any payments of wages for as long as […]
Backtrack with restrictions on access to information bill?
Puerto Rico Impacto | Positive Governor Wanda Vazquez announced that she is considering a reform of the Open Data and Access to Public Information laws. The Legislative Assembly had modified these regulations in July, placing greater demands on requests for information, increasing exceptions for denying information and reducing sanctions. Despite complaints from civil society, Ricardo […]
Brazilian Congress creates front in defense of CSOs
Brazil Impact | Positive On September 10, a Joint Parliamentary Front in Defense of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) was launched in Congress. The Front will monitor the study of bills for the promotion of the right to association and citizen participation. It is made up of 210 legislators from different parties and has an advisory […]