Constitutional Courts issue rulings in Chile and Costa Rica

In Chile, the Constitutional Court has issued a verdict regarding the National Reconstruction project, partially accepting observations to strike down several provisions. The court declared unconstitutional the right to compensation following the judicial annulment of an Environmental Qualification Resolution (RCA). Additionally, the court rejected provisions related to “micro-relocations” in the aquaculture industry, which sought to exempt certain activities from the Environmental Impact Assessment System.

In Costa Rica, the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court ruled against the State for restricting press access during a legislative commission hearing. The court found that Marta Eugenia Esquivel Rodríguez, president of the Special Commission on Appointments, unlawfully restricted journalists and photographers from covering a testimony by the President of the Supreme Court. The ruling emphasized that institutional broadcasts do not substitute the media's right to obtain independent footage, citing violations of freedom of expression and the principle of parliamentary publicity.