By: La Tabla/Data Journalism Platform 7 FEB 2026
The National Assembly has approved (in the first discussion phase) a law aimed at releasing those prosecuted and convicted for political crimes. However, the benefits are strictly tied to ten specific incidents of political confrontation that took place between 1999 and 2026, excluding events from other periods.
This project, presented as a tool for “democratic coexistence,” thus restricts its application amid ongoing political and social conflict that has, for decades, resulted in cycles of violence and state-led judicial actions to pursue such events.
The law establishes a “full and general amnesty” for individuals prosecuted or convicted of political crimes, but only if these crimes occurred within the framework of ten defined historical contexts. These include the April 2002 coup, the 2002-2003 oil strike, the protests of 2014, 2017, and 2019, and the aftermath of the July 2024 presidential elections.
This design focuses the amnesty on specific moments of high conflict within a prolonged period of tension.
The regulation explicitly excludes a range of serious offenses. Serious human rights violations, crimes against humanity, war crimes, large-scale corruption, and drug trafficking are not covered. Notably, intentional homicide (deliberate) is also expressly excluded. This wording creates a gray area for other categories like negligent homicide (unintentional), which, in theory, could be amnestied if framed within one of the ten incidents specified.
Structure and Application Mechanism
The law comprises articles that detail the procedure for its implementation. To activate the benefits, either the Public Ministry or the prosecuted individual must request the amnesty before a competent tribunal. This tribunal will verify whether the case meets the law’s criteria: that the crime is political and related to one of the ten established periods. If confirmed, it will decree the dismissal of the case or the annulment of the final judgment. Once enacted, the law will extinguish all penal, administrative, or disciplinary actions associated with the amnestied events. The project is currently in the public consultation phase, prior to a second parliamentary discussion for its final approval.