Yucatán legislator proposes repealing crimes against honor to protect expression

Deputy Clara Rosales Montiel has presented an initiative to the Yucatán State Congress aimed at protecting freedom of expression and the right to protest. The proposal seeks to remove crimes against honor, such as defamation and libel, from the State Penal Code to prevent legal mechanisms from being used to criminalize opinions, social protests, or environmental activism.

The initiative, supported by civil organizations including Amnesty International Mexico, aims to prevent the judicial harassment of journalists, human rights defenders, and community organizers. It also proposes reforms to the Civil Code and other local laws to ensure that citizens can denounce abuses of authority or defend territories without facing criminal sanctions for their speech.

This legislative effort follows previous instances in the region where community members were prosecuted following social mobilizations regarding land and water rights.