Latin American courts issue major rulings in high-profile legal cases

Several high-profile legal developments are unfolding across Latin America. In the Dominican Republic, the Supreme Court of Justice confirmed a sentence against former Attorney General Jean Alain Rodríguez Sánchez. He is ordered to pay RD$2 million to journalist Marino Zapete Corniel for moral damages resulting from actions that led to the suspension of Zapete’s program. The court declared his appeal inadmissible as he failed to prove cassation interest.

In Honduras, the family of retired General Romeo Vásquez Velásquez has appealed to the Supreme Court of Justice to expedite a writ of amparo. They argue that the general requires urgent medical attention and should be allowed to face his legal proceedings in freedom, characterizing the ongoing judicial process as political persecution.

In Chile, the Court of Appeals of Coyhaique rejected an amparo resource filed by the defense of Senator Miguel Ángel Calisto Águila. The senator is accused of tax fraud, and the court ruled that the denial of an investigation extension does not constitute a direct threat to his individual liberty or security.

Additionally, the Supreme Court of El Salvador upheld the 30-year prison sentences for three retired high-ranking military officers. The convictions relate to the 1982 assassination of four Dutch journalists during the Salvadoran Civil War.