In recent years, Latin America has seen growing efforts to promote and strengthen transparency and access to public information. Various factors have contributed to making this right a cornerstone of 21st-century democratic societies.
Several resolutions by the OAS General Assembly, the judgment of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in Claude Reyes v. Chile, and the adoption of access to information laws in numerous countries across the region are clear indicators of the growing importance of the right to information. At DPLF, we are convinced that access to public information has become a key—though not the only—tool for combating corruption, promoting accountability, and encouraging transparency in state action.
DPLF has focused its efforts on promoting transparency and access to information within Latin America’s justice systems. As part of this work, we have published several studies on the subject (notably Civil Society Initiatives for Transparency in the Judicial Sector in 2002, Access to Judicial Information in Mexico in 2005, Comparing Transparency in 2007, and Disclosing Justice in 2007, all of which are available on our website). In this issue of AportesDPLF, we sought to take a different approach by presenting the results of a practical exercise that assessed two main aspects: first, whether certain types of information were available on the websites of selected judicial and executive branch institutions in the region; and second, how difficult it was in practice to access that information—two variables that can differ significantly in real-world scenarios.
In addition, the exercise compared the information found on official websites with the responses (when provided) to formal requests for information submitted to the relevant institutions on the same topics. The results are revealing and aim to encourage the authorities responsible for these areas to continue improving their information systems and mechanisms—making them increasingly accessible and user-friendly.
We would like to extend special thanks to Moisés Sánchez, Executive Director of Fundación PRO ACCESO (Chile); Jorge Romero, Executive Director of the Center for Analysis and Research FUNDAR (Mexico); and Rodrigo Uprimny, Executive Director of the Center for Law, Justice, and Society Studies DeJusticia (Colombia), who generously agreed to share with our readers their insights on the findings of this research.
