Freedom of speech and expression are protected by Chile’s constitution, but certain events have cast a pall on these rights.
In 2015, the country’s Supreme Court upheld a three-year jail sentence on two journalists who revealed the identity of a former member of parliament. The journalists filed complaints after a lengthy court battle, claiming that their rights to freedom of speech had been violated.
In 2017, the country’s legislature debated and voted on a bill that would impose a new law requiring telecommunications companies to keep records on everyone’s electronic and mobile communications.
For the past two years, individuals had to submit their phone records including call history and numbers to the government. However, since then, the restriction has been abolished but it is a reminder that civil liberties and freedom are not guaranteed by any legislation.