Defamation is a criminal act under Articles 202 up to 205 of the Codigo Penal (Ley No. 641). Such criminal act is punishable by a fine. Under Article 131 of the Codigo Penal (Ley No. 641), the offenses for libel and slander expire after 30 days.
Under Article 204 of the Codigo Penal, the following are some of the defenses for the crime of defamation:
a)The charge is true and is linked to the defense of a
public interest;
b)Information on news events which has been made in
accordance with the Code of Ethics for Journalists;
c)The expressions of true facts which are directed against public officials or employees concerning the performance of their duties.PREVIOUSBACK TO INT’L DEFAMATION DATABASE HOMENEXT