“The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) praised a recent decision by Costa Rica’s Constitutional Court that upheld legal complaints against two state entities for pulling advertising from a television show following the broadcast of a satirical segment. The IAPA called the ruling an important legal precedent in defense of press freedom in Costa Rica.
The court, known as the Sala IV, ruled the decisions by the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) and Banco Popular to withdraw ads from the show El Chinamo, aired on Teletica Channel 7, amounted to indirect censorship. The institutions pulled their sponsorship following the airing of ‘El Chinaoke,’ a segment featuring political and social satire.
According to local press reports, the court found the move violated constitutional rights and international agreements by imposing financial consequences based on editorial content.
The case was brought by a lawyer and a senior citizen, who argued that the withdrawal of sponsorship by ICE and Banco Popular was a response to songs with political and social satire aired in the segment ‘El Chinaoke.’ ”
