REGIONAL OBSERVATORY

Legislation on Freedom of Expression in Latin America

268 LAWS

818 PROJECTS

REGIONAL OBSERVATORY

Legislation on Freedom of Expression in Latin America

268 LAWS

818 PROJECTS

INFOGRAPHICS OF THE REGIONAL PROJECT

Regional Paper

For more than a decade, various congresses in Latin America have been legislating and presenting initiatives that seek to directly or indirectly regulate the digital space. These spaces form an essential part of the personal, political and cultural life of millions of people.1 In addition, they are the areas where a wide range of human rights, such as freedom of expression, are exercised and enjoyed. In this regard, there is an underlying question in the face of this not so new panorama, how does internet regulation impact the guarantees of freedom of expression in Latin America? From the Center for Studies on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information (CELE) of the University of Palermo, the Legislative Observatory on Freedom of Expression in Latin America was created with the aim of monitoring legislative developments and the impact of the discussion on freedom of expression. circulation of discourse online and offline at the regional level.2
This paper describes the methodology used and points out the main findings, trends, and legislative challenges in nine countries in the region: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, and Peru. Based on a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the laws and bills, it seeks to reflect on the recurring issues on the legislative agenda, the criminalization of expression, the legality and proportionality of the measures, the trends of regulation in the digital ecosystem and freedom of expression during the emergency context
healthcare, among others. Finally, some shared conclusions regarding the regulation of freedom of expression in Latin America are highlighted.

YOUTUBE