A new global report on corruption: Latin America is sinking due to Nicaragua, Venezuela, and the lack of judicial independence

the – Lack of independence of the judiciary It is one of the main problems in combating corruption in latin americaAll but three countries score less than 50 out of 100 on the index Corruption perception index (IPC) provided by Transparency International (You).

Latin American countries that are viewed by their citizens as “More clean” They are Uruguay, Chile and Costa RicaWith scores of 73, 66, and 55 points, respectively, they are the only three to exceed 50 points, according to this index. In the rest of the continent, Canada With 76 points; And United State And BarbadosWith 69 both.

Venezuela comes at the bottom of the list as the most corrupt countryWith 13 points and Nicaragua (17) – In the context of widespread impunity and the complete absence of judicial independence – and Honduras And Guatemala (23).

In the average range, although in any case under the pass mark, it is placed Cuba (42), Colombia (40), Argentina (37), Brazil (36), dominican republic And Panama (35), Ecuador (3:4), Peru (33), Savior And Mexico (31), Bolivia (29) and Paraguay (28).

Transparency International's report highlights this Lack of judicial independence weakens the rule of law, encourages corruption, and promotes impunity Of the corrupt and criminals.

In this sense, addressing this problem is essential to effectively combat corruption and ensure the smooth functioning of the system of checks and balances in the 32-nation region – the Americas. The average remains at 43adds the Berlin-based NGO.

We're talking about Venezuela And Nicaragua“Countries that obtained, as in previous years, the worst scores,”We are talking about dictatorships“Where there is no kind of division of power, ambiguity and boundaries between what is legal and what is illegal.”They are very widespreadHe told the news agency Evie Luciana TorchiaroTransparency International's Regional Advisor for the Americas.

In case Venezuelahe added, The judiciary is entirely co-opted into serving the ruling elites and organized crimeTherefore in that country “there is no possibility of punishing corruption.”

In addition to Venezuela, Torquearo is also concerned about the issue GuatemalaBeing one of the countries that has declined the most since 2012 – ten points -, this is mainly due to the building of an economic and political elite in the country with three successive governments allied with corrupt practices.

He noted that in Guatemala, the so-called “Pact of the Corrupt” has co-opted state institutions through various strategies, mainly the judiciary, in order to remain in power and ensure impunity.

At the same time, he placed his hope in the new Guatemalan president. Bernardo Arevalowho took power withA very important science for combating corruption“.

In Brazil, a “regressive trend” in the fight against corruption has also been observed in recent years.In which the former President, Jair Bolsonarolike the current, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, They have appointed people they trust to key positions such as the Attorney General's Office.

Chili pepperAlthough it maintains a prominent position in the CPI due to the strength of its democratic institutions and high levels of transparency, Transparency International also considers it one of the countries “to watch“, after her scores dropped significantly since 2014.

This is due to Various corruption cases Which affected figures from almost all major political parties and many relevant state institutions.

However, Torciaro was convinced that the country was in a position to regain leadership in the region by having much stronger institutions than the rest and a better-functioning system of checks and balances, as well as a new national anti-corruption strategy.

dominican republic He emphasized that it is the only country in Latin America that has improved, due to several factors, in the 2023 Perception Index, although this is mainly due to strengthening its judiciary through independent appointments.

Transparency International confirms that the Americas region “There is an urgent need for a stronger and more independent judiciary To ensure justice, combat impunity, and confront the growth of corruption networks.

Torchiaro also highlighted Citizens' responsibilityWho must demand accountability, and highlighted the opportunity, in this “super-electoral cycle” between the elections held in 2023 and those that will be held this year in the region, to practice voting “with conscience” and no longer give it to the corrupt.

It has once again returned to the top of the ranking prepared by this leading anti-corruption NGO Denmarkwith 90 pointsIt leads the measurement for the sixth year in a row, followed closely by Finland And New Zealand With dozens 87 And 85, respectively. Due to the good performance of their judicial systems, these countries have topped the Corruption Perceptions Index since 2012, and are also among the top positions in the Rule of Law Index compiled annually by the Word Justice Project.

The rating of the ten most transparent has been completed Norway (84), Singapore (83), Sweden (82), Switzerland (82), Netherlands (79), Germany (78) And Luxembourg (78).

SomaliaWith only 11 points; Venezuela, Syria And South Sudan, with 13 each; And YemenWith a score of 16, it occupies the lowest positions in the index. In any case, these countries are experiencing long-term crises and, most often, armed conflicts. In recent years, Somalia, Syria and South Sudan were in the worst places in the ranking of the most corrupt countries Venezuela appears with its lowest result since 2012After obtaining 19 points.

According to the Transparency International survey, there are 23 countries – including some high-ranking democracies such as Iceland (72), the Netherlands (79), Sweden (82), and the United Kingdom (71), as well as some authoritarian states such as Iran (24), Russia (26), Tajikistan (20), this year At its lowest historical levels.

Since 2018, in addition ArgentinaAnother 11 countries recorded significant declines in CPI scores. The list includes low- and middle-income countries such as El Salvador (31), Honduras (23), Liberia (25), Myanmar (20), Nicaragua (17), Sri Lanka (34), and Venezuela (13). As well as to upper middle-income economies such as Austria (71), Poland (54), Turkey (34), and the United Kingdom (71).

During the same period, eight countries showed improvement in the CPI: Ireland (77), South Korea (63), Armenia (47), Vietnam (41), Maldives (39), Moldova (42), Angola (33) and Uzbekistan. . (33).

(With information from EFE)