The regulatory dates to carry out any type of campaign come into effect only on November 15, however, social networks have become the focus of advertising for several candidates.
From November 16 to December 15 is the date set for the different candidates to carry out their electoral campaigns, whether on public roads, on social networks, in the media, among others.
Propaganda acquires a decisive importance in electoral processes but it is supposedly regulated in the country within a certain period of time in which it can be in force.
Regarding electoral propaganda on public roads, it can be carried out for 30 days counted from two days before the date of the elections. In the media, it can be done for 10 days, also counted from two days before the date of the elections. Propaganda in the written media may not exceed half a page and in television or radio media it may not exceed five minutes per day for each political group.
As for social networks, there really isn’t much control or much regulation regarding electoral propaganda and any other type of content in general that is disseminated on the Internet.
The electoral judge, Modesto Núñez, said that in our country there is no type of regulation on social networks or the Internet: “There is no control, nor do we have any institution that is in charge of this activity. It is necessary that there be a law that takes care of this, but in any case the fact is out of time because the term has not yet entered into force ”he mentioned.
He also mentioned that years ago projects were discussed to seek to regulate this content on the Internet, but nothing concrete was ever achieved. “A few years ago, Electoral Justice had presented a project to regulate some articles of the Electoral Code, the Prosecutor’s Office also presented a similar project in relation to electoral crimes and misdemeanors, but so far no progress has been seen.”
The expert highlighted the existing need that all electoral legislation needs a reform in terms of advertising and propaganda, since they are laws that have been in force since approximately 1996. “An update is necessary, but there is no intention at the moment to move forward on that,” he concluded.
According to Núñez, as far as the other means of diffusion, for example, the radio and TV media, up to now the established norms are still being respected and complied with. In the case of public roads, there have been many complaints of posters with the faces of the candidates and regarding the issue, the electoral judge stated that the corresponding actions are carried out but that ultimately it is up to each municipality to carry out the fines or punishments for these campaigns. out of time.
