Corruption like COVID has covered whole of Latin America
2023.02.01 03:47
Corruption like COVID has covered whole of Latin America
By Tiffany Smith
Budrigannews.com – Due to an increase in organized crime perpetrated by public institutions, coercion by political and economic elites, and violations of human rights, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Cuba all fell to all-time lows on the corruption index that was released on Tuesday by Transparency International.
Delia Ferreira Rubio, the head of Transparency International, a Berlin-based anti-corruption organization, stated, “Weak governments fail to stop criminal networks, social conflict, and violence, and some exacerbate threats to human rights by concentrating power in the name of tackling insecurity.”
On a scale from 0 (very corrupt) to 100 (very clean), Transparency International’s annual Corruption Perceptions Index ranks nations based on their perceived levels of corruption in the public sector. 43 is the average for the Americas.
According to the report, Nicaragua and Venezuela have the lowest rankings in Latin America because both face problems with criminal networks infiltrating public institutions.
Cuba, Peru, Guatemala, Venezuela, Brazil, and Cuba did not immediately respond to inquiries regarding the report.
According to the report, organized crime and political and economic elites have taken control of state institutions in Guatemala.
Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei has come under fire from a growing number of critics over the past year. These critics claim that Giammattei has slowed down anti-corruption efforts and forced some judges and prosecutors to leave the country, which are the primary causes of the country’s decline in the index.
According to one of Transparency International’s researchers, Cuba has a historic low due to “ongoing repression” and the “absolute lack of any kind of freedom in the country.” Nicaragua’s ranking was lowered due to repression of the political opposition, violations of human rights, and restrictions on freedom of speech.
In Brazil, where former President Jair Bolsonaro’s term was marked by the use of corrupt schemes to favor allies and amass support in Congress, as well as the promotion of disinformation, the report adds that the combination of authoritarianism, corruption, and an economic downturn proved “especially volatile.”
With a score of 74, Uruguay, which is in close proximity to Canada, ranked highest in the region.
Transparency International cited years of instability in Peru as a result of the country’s cycle of governments, including the downfall of then-President Pedro Castillo in December, who was himself the subject of corruption investigations.
According to the report, drug cartels have also been able to expand in the Caribbean thanks to weak law enforcement and high-level corruption.
Rubio stated:
“Leaders must prioritize decisive action against corruption to eliminate its hold and enable governments to fulfill their first mandate. This is the only way forward: safeguarding the populace.”
