"In the last few weeks, the Congress of the Republic [Peru] has been preparing two bills that would put at risk journalistic practice and the autonomy of the media.
Bill No. 2862/2022 seeks to increase penalties for the crimes of slander and defamation, and thus curb -as detailed in its explanatory memorandum- 'the malpractice carried out by the media' when they disseminate information that affects the honor of individuals. On the other hand, bill No. 2170/2021 would require open signal broadcasting companies to be obliged, under risk of serious infringement, to dedicate 30% of their programming to Peruvian music or national cultural content. Both initiatives, presented by the Perú Libre party, have already been approved by the majority, and could therefore be submitted to the plenary.
But these proposals are not the only ones that have highlighted a parliamentary trend against the media, the press and the fundamental freedoms of expression and information. After an analysis of the last five parliamentary periods, ECData identified up to 94 bills passed by the Parliament itself to modify regulations with an impact on these rights. In other words, every two months on average, some initiative of this type has come forth."
