The Codification of the Right of Access to Information in Latin America

From a Latin American comparative perspective, this paper proposes that access to official information, as a fundamental right that can be claimed directly from the Constitution and international conventions, even in the absence of pre-existing (statutory) laws to that purpose, should be guaranteed by independent administrative authorities. In the absence of such authorities, the author stresses the importance of a legislative code whose main role would be to reduce the wide leeway (room for interpretation) enjoyed by the public authorities in their decision-making powers and the associated negative effects.