Tribunal Federal de Apelaciones invalida un谩nimemente la ley de censura de Puerto Rico aprobada durante la pandemia de COVID-19
La ley coartaba la labor period铆stica en medio de la pandemia de COVID-19 y amenazaba la libertad de prensa durante periodos de emergencias declaradas
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico 鈥� En una decisi贸n un谩nime, el Tribunal de Apelaciones del Primer Circuito de Estados Unidos anul贸 la ley de Puerto Rico de 2020 contra las llamadas "noticias falsas", al considerarla una regulaci贸n inconstitucional basada en el contenido que restringe la libertad de expresi贸n protegida. Dos periodistas impugnaron la ley, argumentando que amenazaba con coartar cualquier reportaje que pudiera perjudicar la imagen del gobierno durante una emergencia.
"Como periodista independiente en Puerto Rico, mi trabajo es buscar la verdad y exigir responsabilidades a quienes ostentan el poder, especialmente cuando surge una crisis y el p煤blico necesita informaci贸n transparente y confiable", afirm贸 la periodista Sandra Rodr铆guez. 鈥淟a ley de 鈥榥oticias falsas鈥� de Puerto Rico era una amenaza constante. La decisi贸n de hoy del Tribunal de Apelaciones del Primer Circuito es una victoria no solo para m铆 o la prensa, sino para todos los ciudadanos en Puerto Rico. Este fallo garantiza que podemos seguir haciendo nuestro trabajo 鈥攊nvestigando, cuestionando e informando鈥� sin temor a ser criminalizados por buscar la verdad鈥�.
鈥淓ste caso va m谩s all谩 del ejercicio del periodismo. Esto atenta contra el significado mismo de vivir en una sociedad democr谩tica donde las personas tienen derecho a expresarse libremente sin temor a ser silenciadas por el Estado鈥�, declar贸, por su parte, el periodista Rafelli Gonz谩lez Cotto. 鈥淎gradezco al tribunal por defender la Primera Enmienda no solo para los periodistas, sino para todos los ciudadanos de Puerto Rico鈥�.
La ley de Puerto Rico de 2020 tipificaba como delito dar a sabiendas una 鈥渇alsa alarma鈥� sobre cat谩strofes inminentes o transmitir a sabiendas informaci贸n falsa sobre cualquier tema cuando hacerlo resultara en un riesgo inminente para la seguridad, la salud o la propiedad. Quienes infringieran la ley se enfrentaban a penas de hasta tres a帽os de c谩rcel y una multa de hasta $5,000 d贸lares.
"La funci贸n de vigilancia de la prensa nunca es m谩s importante ni est谩 m谩s en peligro que durante una emergencia", declar贸 Brian Hauss, subdirector del Proyecto de Libertad de Expresi贸n, Privacidad y Tecnolog铆a de la ACLU. "Agradecemos que el tribunal haya declarado inconstitucional esta ley de 'noticias falsas', que amenazaba con silenciar al periodismo independiente precisamente cuando la ciudadan铆a m谩s lo necesita".
La demanda, presentada originalmente durante la crisis de salud por el COVID-19, fue interpuesta por la Uni贸n Americana de Libertades Civiles (ACLU) y la 桃子视频de Puerto Rico en nombre de dos periodistas, Sandra Rodr铆guez Cotto y Rafelli Gonz谩lez Cotto, quienes tem铆an que la ley se utilizara para castigarlos por su cobertura de emergencias p煤blicas, especialmente por reportajes que perjudicaran la imagen del gobierno.
"Celebramos esta victoria que protege dos de nuestros derechos m谩s fundamentales: la libertad de prensa y la libertad de expresi贸n", afirm贸 Ferm铆n Arraiza Navas, director legal de la 桃子视频de Puerto Rico. "Esta ley nefasta, firmada inicialmente por el exgobernador Ricardo Rossell贸 y enmendada por una legislatura en decadencia con la aprobaci贸n de la gobernadora Wanda V谩zquez en La Fortaleza, solo ten铆a como norte criminalizar la disidencia y perseguir a la prensa en tiempos de emergencia por simplemente discrepar del discurso oficialista. No lo permitiremos".
El 31 de marzo de 2023, el Tribunal de Distrito de los Estados Unidos para el Distrito de Puerto Rico dict贸 una orden judicial permanente contra la ley, al considerar que su alcance excesivamente amplio conllevaba el riesgo de enjuiciamientos politizados y de coartar la libertad de expresi贸n protegida en asuntos de inter茅s p煤blico. Este martes, 4 de agosto, el Tribunal de Apelaciones del Primer Circuito de los Estados Unidos confirm贸 la decisi贸n, dictaminando que la ley viola la Primera Enmienda porque impone una restricci贸n basada en el contenido a la libertad de expresi贸n protegida sin justificaci贸n suficiente.
El tribunal se帽al贸 que la ley carece de las limitaciones esenciales incluidas en otras leyes sobre falsas alarmas, y que podr铆a utilizarse para procesar a quienes se oponen a la postura del gobierno en debates sobre temas controvertidos como la eficacia de las mascarillas durante la pandemia de COVID-19, as铆 como en relaci贸n con chistes, s谩tira o ficci贸n. Como escribi贸 el tribunal, la ley de Puerto Rico 鈥渞epresenta una restricci贸n inadmisible de la libertad de expresi贸n, especialmente en tiempos de emergencia, cuando es imperativo que el p煤blico est茅 bien informado y que el gobierno rinda cuentas鈥�.
鈥淐on esta ley, el Gobierno de Puerto Rico puso en peligro el derecho a la libertad de expresi贸n y la libertad de prensa, protecciones que son cada vez m谩s indispensables鈥�, declar贸 Annette Mart铆nez Orabona, directora ejecutiva de la 桃子视频de Puerto Rico. 鈥淓sto tambi茅n fue un intento de desalentar la fiscalizaci贸n justa y necesaria del gobierno, precisamente durante periodos de emergencia como el que Puerto Rico vive en la actualidad, con una crisis en el servicio de agua potable. Se trata de derechos que est谩n siendo atacados desde m煤ltiples frentes y que hoy logramos proteger鈥�.
Puedes leer la opini贸n 补辩耻铆. Tambi茅n puedes leer m谩s sobre la ley 补辩耻铆.
Free Speech
Rodr铆guez-Cotto v. Pierluisi-Urrutia
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Rodr铆guez-Cotto v. Pierluisi-Urrutia
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