The Bolivian government has forwarded a Transparency and Access to Information Law to the Bolivian Congress.
The proposal (text in Spanish) has generated some criticisms, such as from journalists, the Asociación Nacional de la Prensa, and the Bolivian ombudsman.
Among other things, there are concerns that environmental impact assessment information would not be released and that the 12 exemptions are too tight. (See report by Miguel Angel Melendres in elerber.com.bo, in Spanish.)
The legislation is more restrictive than the supreme decree 28168 of Public Administration Transparency, enacted in 2005 by then president Carlos Mesa, which states that access to information may be denied only in exceptional circumstances, according to the Melendres article.
Juan Leon, executive director of the National Press Association, expressed concern about access to environmental impact studies. He also objected to restrictions on disclosure information created during the decision-making process, saying that is when the information is most useful.
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