Proposal would replace prison with fines in anti-hate law

The proposed reform of Venezuela's anti-hate law would eliminate prison sentences and replace them with economic sanctions and community service, according to AlbertoNews. The proposal, presented by Delcy Rodríguez to the Asamblea Nacional, renames the law the Ley para la Convivencia Democrática, la Paz y la Tolerancia after receiving constitutional approval from the Sala Constitucional del Tribunal Supremo de Justicia.

The legal mechanism replaces jail with fines indexed to the official exchange rate of the highest-valued currency set by the Central Bank of Venezuela (BCV). Enforcement of these monetary sanctions would fall to the Ministerio de Interior y Justicia, and they could be combined with hours of community service or educational programs, while expressly prohibiting measures that deprive people of their liberty.

The reform redefines hate speech to expressly exclude political opinion, journalism and freedom of expression, except in cases of direct and unequivocal incitement to violence or crime. It also sets rules for media outlets and political organizations, which would be overseen by the Consejo Nacional Electoral.

To coordinate administrative procedures and ensure compliance with the law, the initiative provides for the creation of the Comisión para la Promoción y Garantía de la Convivencia Pacífica, a body made up of representatives of the branches of government, key ministries and social organizations.