Transparency and access to information improving in Costa Rica

Expression

Costa Rica ranks the highest in Latin America on the 2017 World Press Freedom Index released in April 2017. Coming in at sixth place out of 180 countries, Costa Rica stands out from its neighbours with its media legislation that protects freedom of the press. Moreover, journalists can report openly and freely without fear of reprisals. 

The Costa Rican government continues its effort to improve freedom of expression and access to information in the country. On 27th April 2017, the government presented two official Executive Decrees on: "Transparency and access to public information in the state and its dependencies" and on "Open Data".

And in an effort to create a more transparent government, the parliament is considering two bills on "Law of freedom of expression and press" and "Law on access to public information". 

All above-mentioned decrees and legislation were made available to the public for comment and consultation. 

Peaceful Assembly

Several protests and demonstrations took place in Costa Rica during the last few months. According to monitoring by the Universidad de Costa Rica (University of Costa Rica), over 30 protests and collective actions occurred in the country since the last Monitor report in February 2017. Most of the protests focused on labour or workers’ rights. There were no documented cases of police using excessive force or protests being disrupted. Monitor partner - Red Latinoamericana y del Caribe por la Democracia - also consulted with Costa Rican civil society organisations that reported the government's willingness to engage in dialogue and enter into negotiations when protests or strikes take place.