Venezuela’s hate speech law shifts from prison to fines
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The Venezuelan government is changing its hate speech law to replace prison sentences with fines and community service.
Currently, the law allows for 10 to 20 years in prison for hate speech offenses. The proposed reform sets fines equivalent to 500 to 10,000 times the highest exchange rate set by the Central Bank of Venezuela.
The Ministry of Interior, Justice and Peace will determine the fine amount based on the severity of the offense, its scope, the intent behind it, any economic gain, and whether the person has offended before. The reform also establishes a Commission for the Promotion and Guarantee of Peaceful Coexistence, composed of 15 members from various government and social organizations.
While journalistic work and political opinions are excluded from the definition of hate speech as long as they don’t directly incite violence, media outlets are now required to broadcast content promoting democratic coexistence, peace, and tolerance for up to 30 minutes each week. Digital platforms and social media networks must also take preventative measures against the spread of hateful content and remove any violating material immediately. Individuals who receive a sanction can appeal the decision within 30 days.
The law’s name is also changing from “Constitutional Law Against Hate, for Peaceful Coexistence and Tolerance” to “Law for Democratic Coexistence, Peace and Tolerance”.
