Since 1995, the IT Corruption Perception Index It annually classifies 180 countries and territories on a scale ranging from zero (very corrupt) to 100 (very honest), using data from institutions such as the World Bank or private consulting companies.
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Denmark (90), Finland (87) and New Zealand (87) remain the least corrupt countries in the world, according to the report published this Tuesday. Somalia (12), Syria (13) and South Sudan (12) have the worst rates of perceived corruption.
Global data reveals a stagnation in the fight against corruption and highlights the relationship between this scourge and violence. “Corruption and conflict feed each other and threaten lasting peace“, states the report. The phenomenon is particularly visible in Latin America.
Countries with lower scores are often at war or facing outbreaks of violence. This is the case of Venezuela (14), Haiti (17), Nicaragua (19) and Honduras (23), which have the worst scores in Latin America.
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In these countries, the lines between public institutions and criminal networks are blurred, TI points out. The index for the last three has decreased considerably since 2017.
Uruguay (74) and Chile (67) are the countries with the best scores in the region, followed by Costa Rica (54), but this nation recorded its lowest historical score due to recent cases of corruption and allegations of alleged illicit financing of the electoral campaign of current president Rodrigo Chaves.
The remaining Latin American countries have scores below 50, such as Cuba (45), Colombia (39), Argentina, Brasil (38), Ecuador, Panama, Peru (36), El Salvador, Dominican Republic (33), Bolivia, Mexico (31) and Paraguay (28).
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“Advance of organized crime”
The lack of progress in the fight against corruption “has led to the weakening of democratic institutions in the region and an increase in violence, as well as the advance of organized crime in public institutions”, warned Luciana Torchuaro, advisor for Latin America at TI.
“Fragile governments fail in their work to stop criminal networks, social conflict and violence”, highlighted Delia Ferreira Rubio, president of the NGO, in a statement.
In an analysis, TI cites the instability that is shaking Peru, with six changes of government in six years and where five former presidents are investigated for corruption, including Pedro Castillo. The repression of demonstrations motivated by his dismissal in December has resulted in more than 50 deaths to date.
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In other countries, he warns, public bodies have been co-opted by “elites and organized crime”. Authorities responsible for ensuring compliance with the law ignore illicit activities or human rights violations in exchange for money.
Threats to the environment
In Venezuela, which has the worst score in Latin America, criminal groups maintain their activities in the mining sector in exchange for irregular payments to the military, reports TI. Illegal economic activities represented 21% of GDP in 2021.
The report also mentions Guatemala (24) and Honduras, where “there is evidence to suggest” the influence of organized crime in politics. In Guatemala, the situation affects journalists, activists and prosecutors – some people have been forced into exile.
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To try to reverse the trend, the NGO regrets that Honduras, El Salvador and Ecuador have declared states of emergency, a measure that reduces “transparency and accountability”.
In the report that represents a snapshot of 2022, IT the union between crime and political interests represents a danger to the environment.
“Criminal networks encourage the smuggling of wild animals, the illegal cutting and burning of land, the illegal extraction of gold and deforestation”, he denounces.
The murders of environmental activists remain unpunished due to the infiltration of these networks in the justice systems, he criticizes. In 2021, 138 activists were killed in Colombia, 42 in Mexico and 27 in Brazil.
(with AFP)
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