Reform to the Anti-Corruption Law advances in the National Assembly
Venezuela Impact | Positive Probability | High Civicus Rating | Repressed On July 26 the Comptroller Commission of the National Assembly launched the public consultation process on the bill of the partial reform of the Law Against Corruption of 2014, which had been approved in first discussion two weeks ago. The initiative broadens the concept […]
Bill to eliminate the obligation to consult Indigenous Communities moves forward
Brazil Impact | Negative Probability | Medium Civicus Rating | Obstructed The situation of Brazil’s indigenous peoples has been viewed with concern for decades due to their living conditions and lack of protection of their rights. This could now be aggravated if a bill to reform the so-called Statute of the Indian, which obtained a […]
Senate analyzes bill to increase penalties against ‘crimes against honor’
Brazil Impact | Negative Probability | Medium Civicus Rating | Obstructed On July 14, the Senate discussed a bill presented by the ruling senator Carlos Fávaro (PSD/MT) which seeks to increase the penalties for the crimes of slander, defamation and libel. Eight amendments were presented during its discussion and the bill is still under study. […]
The National Assembly cancelled the legal status of 24 NGOs, most of them working on health issues
Nicaragua Impact | Negative Probability | High Civicus Rating | Repressed On July 28 the National Assembly, controlled by the ruling party, approved with 72 votes the cancellation of the legal personality (status) of 24 civil society organizations (CSOs). The measure had been requested by the Ministry of the Interior under the argument that these […]
New NGO law: regulation and suspension of clauses due to Constitutional Court decision
Guatemala Impact | Negative Civicus Rating | Obstructed On July 14, and less than a month after its entry into force, the Constitutional Court (CC) resolved through a ruling to provisionally suspend some clauses contained in the controversial reform to the NGO Law. The action comes after Alianza por las Reformas, Acción Ciudadana and the […]
The government aims to restrict by law the access to sworn statements of public officials
El Salvador Impact | Negative Probability | High Civicus Rating | Repressed On July 13, the Minister of the Interior, Juan Carlos Bidegain, presented before the Legislative Assembly a bill that seeks to modify substantial aspects of the Law on Access to Public Information. – by defining as ‘confidential’ the wealth declarations of public officials. […]
The government promotes two bills for the “permanent transformation” of the Police force
Colombia Impact | Negative Probability | High Civicus Rating | Repressed On July 20, the Executive Branch presented two bills to Congress with a request for urgent treatment that seek to “permanently transform” the National Police. The intention is to make the actions of the police more transparent and restore its lost legitimacy amid a […]
Spying and control: the Pegasus Project and the use of technology for public surveillance
Latin America Technological advances have demonstrated, in multiple opportunities, their benefits to strengthen transparency and citizen participation processes. However, in recent times we have seen how they have been used to deepen state control mechanisms. The recent revelations of the Pegasus Project exposed this. In July 2021, an international journalistic investigation unveiled the abuse perpetrated […]
Tras más de un año de suspensión, el 21 de junio entró en vigencia la reforma a la Ley de ONGS
Guatemala Impacto | Negativo Rating Civicus | Obstruido La fecha de entrada en vigencia de la reforma fue anunciada por la Corte de Constitucionalidad (CC) tras un fallo del 14 de junio en el que rechazó la solicitud de aclaración y ampliación planteada por la Fundación Myrna Mack. Este era el último recurso que quedaba […]
President Maduro sets his sight on controlling social networks
Venezuela Impact | Negative Probability | High Civicus Rating | Repressed Within the framework of an event held on June 28 for the Journalist’s Day, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro once again hinted at the possibility of promoting a bill to regulate social networks. The president asked to review the use of such platforms under the […]