Tribunal Federal de Apelaciones invalida unánimemente la ley de censura de Puerto Rico aprobada durante la pandemia de COVID-19
La ley coartaba la labor periodística en medio de la pandemia de COVID-19 y amenazaba la libertad de prensa durante periodos de emergencias declaradas
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — En una decisión unánime, el Tribunal de Apelaciones del Primer Circuito de Estados Unidos anuló la ley de Puerto Rico de 2020 contra las llamadas "noticias falsas", al considerarla una regulación inconstitucional basada en el contenido que restringe la libertad de expresión protegida. Dos periodistas impugnaron la ley, argumentando que amenazaba con coartar cualquier reportaje que pudiera perjudicar la imagen del gobierno durante una emergencia.
"Como periodista independiente en Puerto Rico, mi trabajo es buscar la verdad y exigir responsabilidades a quienes ostentan el poder, especialmente cuando surge una crisis y el público necesita información transparente y confiable", afirmó la periodista Sandra Rodríguez. “La ley de ‘noticias falsas’ de Puerto Rico era una amenaza constante. La decisión de hoy del Tribunal de Apelaciones del Primer Circuito es una victoria no solo para mí o la prensa, sino para todos los ciudadanos en Puerto Rico. Este fallo garantiza que podemos seguir haciendo nuestro trabajo —investigando, cuestionando e informando— sin temor a ser criminalizados por buscar la verdad”.
“Este caso va más allá del ejercicio del periodismo. Esto atenta contra el significado mismo de vivir en una sociedad democrática donde las personas tienen derecho a expresarse libremente sin temor a ser silenciadas por el Estado”, declaró, por su parte, el periodista Rafelli González Cotto. “Agradezco al tribunal por defender la Primera Enmienda no solo para los periodistas, sino para todos los ciudadanos de Puerto Rico”.
La ley de Puerto Rico de 2020 tipificaba como delito dar a sabiendas una “falsa alarma” sobre catástrofes inminentes o transmitir a sabiendas información falsa sobre cualquier tema cuando hacerlo resultara en un riesgo inminente para la seguridad, la salud o la propiedad. Quienes infringieran la ley se enfrentaban a penas de hasta tres años de cárcel y una multa de hasta $5,000 dólares.
"La función de vigilancia de la prensa nunca es más importante ni está más en peligro que durante una emergencia", declaró Brian Hauss, subdirector del Proyecto de Libertad de Expresión, Privacidad y Tecnología de la ACLU. "Agradecemos que el tribunal haya declarado inconstitucional esta ley de 'noticias falsas', que amenazaba con silenciar al periodismo independiente precisamente cuando la ciudadanía más lo necesita".
La demanda, presentada originalmente durante la crisis de salud por el COVID-19, fue interpuesta por la Unión Americana de Libertades Civiles (ACLU) y la ACLU de Puerto Rico en nombre de dos periodistas, Sandra Rodríguez Cotto y Rafelli González Cotto, quienes temían que la ley se utilizara para castigarlos por su cobertura de emergencias públicas, especialmente por reportajes que perjudicaran la imagen del gobierno.
"Celebramos esta victoria que protege dos de nuestros derechos más fundamentales: la libertad de prensa y la libertad de expresión", afirmó Fermín Arraiza Navas, director legal de la ACLU de Puerto Rico. "Esta ley nefasta, firmada inicialmente por el exgobernador Ricardo Rosselló y enmendada por una legislatura en decadencia con la aprobación de la gobernadora Wanda Vázquez en La Fortaleza, solo tenía como norte criminalizar la disidencia y perseguir a la prensa en tiempos de emergencia por simplemente discrepar del discurso oficialista. No lo permitiremos".
El 31 de marzo de 2023, el Tribunal de Distrito de los Estados Unidos para el Distrito de Puerto Rico dictó una orden judicial permanente contra la ley, al considerar que su alcance excesivamente amplio conllevaba el riesgo de enjuiciamientos politizados y de coartar la libertad de expresión protegida en asuntos de interés público. Este martes, 4 de agosto, el Tribunal de Apelaciones del Primer Circuito de los Estados Unidos confirmó la decisión, dictaminando que la ley viola la Primera Enmienda porque impone una restricción basada en el contenido a la libertad de expresión protegida sin justificación suficiente.
El tribunal señaló que la ley carece de las limitaciones esenciales incluidas en otras leyes sobre falsas alarmas, y que podría utilizarse para procesar a quienes se oponen a la postura del gobierno en debates sobre temas controvertidos como la eficacia de las mascarillas durante la pandemia de COVID-19, así como en relación con chistes, sátira o ficción. Como escribió el tribunal, la ley de Puerto Rico “representa una restricción inadmisible de la libertad de expresión, especialmente en tiempos de emergencia, cuando es imperativo que el público esté bien informado y que el gobierno rinda cuentas”.
“Con esta ley, el Gobierno de Puerto Rico puso en peligro el derecho a la libertad de expresión y la libertad de prensa, protecciones que son cada vez más indispensables”, declaró Annette Martínez Orabona, directora ejecutiva de la ACLU de Puerto Rico. “Esto también fue un intento de desalentar la fiscalización justa y necesaria del gobierno, precisamente durante periodos de emergencia como el que Puerto Rico vive en la actualidad, con una crisis en el servicio de agua potable. Se trata de derechos que están siendo atacados desde múltiples frentes y que hoy logramos proteger”.
Puedes leer la opinión aquí. También puedes leer más sobre la ley aquí.
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