While the court ruled in favor of the defendant, freedom of expression experts said the preliminary ruling does not necessarily signal a free-for-all when it comes to criticizing public officials.
Former President Laura Chinchilla (2010-2014) appeared at a criminal court in San José Monday morning for a defamation lawsuit she filed in June 2013 against businessman Alberto Rodríguez Baldi.
Outraged Ticos bombard social media networks under the hashtag #LauraLeaEsto to defend the long-standing Costa Rican right to free speech after President Laura Chinchilla threatened to sue anyone who defames her on Facebook.
