Gonzalo Castillo requests to postpone the entry into force of the Penal Code and expand the debate

Santo Domingo.– Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) leader Gonzalo Castillo has requested that the entry into force of the new Penal Code be postponed, arguing that the legislation should be subject to a broader national discussion before its implementation.

Through a post on his X account, Castillo questioned the Government’s talk of consensus regarding the reform and maintained that the bill keeps prison sentences for defamation against those who criticize public officials or address matters of public interest.

Likewise, he stated that last-minute changes had been made to the project, taking advantage of the debate generated around the piece, a situation he described as unacceptable.

In that sense, he requested that the Penal Code not go into effect on August 3rd and proposed opening a national discussion process of at least one year, in order to review its content.

“We demand that this code does not come into effect on August 3rd. A minimum of one year of serious, real, and transparent national debate is needed,” he/she expressed.

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The PLD leader also stated that, in his opinion, the provisions on defamation could affect freedom of expression and reiterated that a reform of that magnitude must have a true consensus.

“The Government lies when it speaks of consensus. It maintains prison for defamation against those who criticize officials or touch on matters of public interest,” he wrote.

Castillo concluded his message with a call to expand the dialogue on the reform and maintained that “reaching a consensus means debating,” while rejecting any measure that, as he understands it, limits freedom of expression.