Freedom of speech and expression is enshrined in Chile’s constitution, but some developments have cast a shadow on these rights.
In 2015, according to Freedom House, the country’s Supreme Court upheld the conviction of two journalists, sentenced to three years in prison for an article about a former member of congress. That was after a long legal struggle where the journalists argued that their conviction violated their freedom of expression rights.
Similarly, in 2017, the country’s legislature debated over the enactment of a new law that would require telecommunication companies to retain data on the electronic and mobile communication of everyone in the country. This included keeping records of things like location history and phone numbers for a total of two years. The law has since been rolled back, but it’s a reminder that civil liberties and freedom aren’t guaranteed by any yardstick.