The Ministry of Government published in Official Gazette No. 30642 of October 26, 2026 Executive Decree 28, signed on October 23, 2026 by President José Raúl Mulino Quintero and Minister of Government Dinoska Montalvo. The decree amends Chapter VII of Executive Decree 25 of 2025, which regulates Law 467 of 2025 on community justice of the peace, so that mayors retain the sanctioning powers in the correctional sphere originally set by the Administrative Code.

Its Article 1 introduces Article 93-A: in districts with nine or more townships, the mayor may delegate, by decree, the handling of these matters to compliance officers who meet the requirements of Article 12 of Law 467, except for its paragraphs 4, 5, 6 and 8. Article 93-B establishes a predominantly oral procedure, with signed minutes or a recording, and a maximum term of twenty days to take evidence. Article 93-C allows anyone caught in flagrante delicto to be sanctioned without a prior hearing and brought before the authority with the support of the Public Force.

Article 93-D sets the catalog of sanctions: verbal, private or public reprimand; a fine proportional to the damage of up to five thousand balboas in cases under mayoral jurisdiction, or the amount set by municipal rules in other cases; community service of up to ninety days; repair of the damage and, as an accessory penalty, forfeiture of the objects used by the offender, except firearms. Article 93-E authorizes converting an unfulfilled sanction into arrest: one day for every B/.50 of fine, one day for every two days of community service and one day for every month without repairing the damage, with a motion for reconsideration as the only means of challenge.

For businesses, builders and property owners active in the largest districts, the decree could translate into faster proceedings and sanctions with greater enforcement capacity for the correctional offenses handled by mayors. The possibility of converting an unpaid fine into arrest also raises the cost of ignoring a sanction and usually encourages early repair of the damage.

The decree takes effect upon promulgation, according to its Article 7. Its practical effect depends on the authorized mayors issuing the delegation decree, appointing compliance officers who meet the legal requirements and having state support for the detentions and arrests the decree provides for. Nexo Capital will follow the application of Executive Decree 28 in the municipalities.

Research assisted by Sentinel, with editorial verification of official sources. Discover Legislat.ai