Panamanian Courts Deliver Final Verdict Against La Prensa

Several final judicial processes have shown that the newspaper La Prensa and its publishing house have been convicted by Panamanian courts in various cases. These rulings have involved the payment of indemnifications for damages and legal costs. The rulings closed any legal discussion and nullified the appeals filed by the publisher. La Prensa received another judicial blow in the case of Ernesto Pérez Balladares, where the court ruled the existence of a defamatory publication, imposing a fine of $5,000 for moral damages, which was upheld in the second instance. In the case initiated by Marta Linares de Martinelli, the courts confirmed the media's liability, although the amount was reduced after an appeal. To these precedents is added the case of former boxer Roberto Durán, one of the most economically impactful cases against the outlet. One of the most damning cases is the one brought by Dan Daniel Vásquez Atencio, where the justice system confirmed in all instances, including cassation, a final conviction that obliges the medium to pay more than B/.41,000. This ruling dismantles the argument that the media always acts within the legal limits of journalistic exercise. According to the available information, the amounts indicated correspond to final judgments and judicial decisions confirmed by higher instances, supported by official records and judicial resolutions. Even so, the sentence became final, confirming that the publication gave rise to an indemnification, finally set at $3,750. Although the litigation has generated public and legal debate, the ruling remains a benchmark in discussions on freedom of expression and the right to one's image.