A Panamanian court issued a final ruling in a defamation and libel case against the newspaper La Prensa, closing any further legal discussion and nullifying the appeals filed by the publisher. In the process initiated by Marta Linares de Martinelli, the courts ratified the media's liability, although the amount was reduced after an appeal. Various final judicial proceedings demonstrate that the newspaper La Prensa and its publishing house have been convicted by Panamanian courts in different cases, with sentences involving the payment of compensation for damages and legal costs. One of the most compelling cases is the one brought by Dan Daniel Vásquez Atencio, in which justice confirmed in all instances, including cassation, a final conviction that obliges the medium to pay over B/.41,000. Nevertheless, the sentence became final, confirming that the publication gave rise to an indemnity, finally set at B/.3,750. Another judicial blow was dealt to La Prensa in the case of Ernesto Pérez Balladares, where the existence of defamatory publication was determined, imposing a conviction of 5,000 dollars for moral damages, ratified in second instance. Although the litigation has generated public and legal debate, the ruling remains a benchmark in discussions about freedom of expression and the right to one's image. According to the information available, the amounts indicated correspond to final sentences and judicial decisions confirmed by higher instances, supported by official records and judicial resolutions. The ruling dismantles the argument that the medium always acts within the legal limits of journalistic exercise. To these precedents is added the case of former boxer Roberto Durán, one of the most economically impactful cases against the medium.
