The Constitutional Chamber ordered the Legislative Assembly to adopt the necessary measures so that within a maximum period of nine months, the dissemination of legislative information through other channels of communication other than the Internet is guaranteed.
The entity ordered Carolina Hidalgo, president of the Congress, to adopt the measures, but in a means of communication that is effective, direct, and free. Thus, the Chamber declared a writ of amparo filed by Óscar Quesada Rodríguez, which was partially accepted.
The magistrates condemned to the State for
the payment of the coasts and damages caused, which will be liquidated in their case, in execution of sentence before the Contentious Administrative Jurisdiction.”
According to the Chamber’s vote, the transmissions that were made through the National Radio and Television System (Sinart) have stopped since 2016, because its then general director, Pablo Cárdenas, estimated that the Legislative Assembly had to pay them a little over 97 million colones annually. The institution did not agree due to budget cuts due to the fiscal crisis.
The document also clarifies that other negotiations were held between the two institutions that did not bear fruit.
Some of the points denied by the Chamber to the appellant have to do with the fact that it could not be verified that Quesada was denied access to the information requested in the Legislative Assembly.
However, this Chamber concludes that currently, the alternatives for getting legislative information through the Legislative Assembly’s website, cable television, and face-to-face, are insufficient to satisfy the right to information; because there are other means or suitable resources of mass communication,”
said the institution.
Magistrate Nancy Hernández saved her vote because she believes the necessary ways to find out about the legislative events are there. Currently, the parliamentary sessions and some legislative committees are transmitted through Channel 98 of Tigo and through the YouTube video platform.