Overview
- The National Association of Journalists (ANP) denounced the Executive’s bid to criminalize the revelation of reserved information from investigations, calling it censorship that threatens investigative reporting and the public’s right to know.
- Prime Minister Ernesto Álvarez said the initiative is not aimed at the media and targets state officials who leak operational details to alert suspects during police or judicial actions.
- The Government argues the change would close a legal gap by enabling criminal penalties rather than only administrative sanctions for insider leaks that undermine operations.
- Álvarez pledged an open drafting process with invitations to veteran journalists, media representatives, and free-expression specialists, promising full transparency to safeguard legitimate reporting.
- The ANP urged Congress’s Constitutional and Regulatory Commission to remove the provision, asserting that penal changes should not be enacted via delegated powers and require robust public debate.