Corruption on the Rise in Latin America and the Caribbean,
10/9/17
Corruption is a scourge that hurts ordinary people every day
across the Americas. And when they speak out about it, far too often they
face retaliation.
Almost two thirds of people that we surveyed for the
latest Global
Corruption Barometer, People and Corruption: Latin America and the Caribbean, said that corruption had
risen in the 12 months prior to when they were questioned (62 per cent).
More than half said that their government is failing to address
corruption (53 per cent). And one in three people who had used a public service
in the last 12 months said they had to pay a bribe (29 per cent). We talked to
more than 22,000 people in 20 countries.
Based on the estimated population size of these countries, this means that around 90 million people paid bribes.
The people of Latin
America and the Caribbean are being let down by their governments and the
private sector. Bribery represents a significant barrier to accessing key
public services, particularly for the most vulnerable in society.
José UgazChairTransparency
International.
It’s no surprise then that across the region people regularly
take to the streets to protest corruption. We’ve seen it in Brazil, Guatemala
and the Dominican Republic. We’ve seen it in Mexico and Honduras. In fact seven
in ten citizens stand ready and willing to get involved in the fight against
corruption (70 per cent).
Yet despite this, few bribe payers said that they had actually
reported this to the authorities (9 per cent), and of those who do, almost one
third said that they suffered negative retaliation as a result (28 per
cent).
Police and politicians are perceived to be the most corrupt
institutions in the region, with almost half of citizens saying that most or
all people in these institutions are corrupt. This demonstrates a worrying lack
of trust in these vital public sector groups.
"This report shows that citizens’ demands for
accountability and transparency are not being met by their leaders. Governments
must do more to root out corruption at all levels," said José Ugaz,
Chair of Transparency International.
Transparency International makes four key recommendations to
strengthen the judicial system and help people speak up without fear of
retaliation. Governments across Latin America and the Caribbean should:
Strengthen the institutions involved in the detection, investigation
and prosecution of corruption-related crimes
Lift political immunity for corruption-related cases
Strengthen police investigative capacity, reinforce internal
disciplinary measures and establish permanent accountability mechanisms for the
police
Create accessible, anonymous, reporting channels for
whistleblowers, which meaningfully protect them from all forms of retaliation.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody
GA Tea Party Leader
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