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A28 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 28 May 2020
Spread of coronavirus fuels corruption in Latin America

By JOSHUA GOODMAN corruption — hundreds of
Associated Press billions of dollars every year.
MIAMI (AP) — Even in a But abuse multiplies in
pandemic, there's no slow- emergencies like natural
down for swindlers in Latin disasters.
America. He said the risks are even
From Argentina to Pana- higher in the pandemic,
ma, a number of officials as officials compete for
have been forced to resign limited supplies, disrupting
as reports of fraudulent pur- established price mecha-
chases of ventilators, masks nisms.
and other medical supplies "If you don't stop at the
pile up. The thefts are driv- red light, and nothing hap-
en by price-gouging from pens, or you can bribe the
manufacturers and profi- policeman and get away
teering by politically con- with it, then more people
nected middlemen who will have incentives not to
see the crisis as an opportu- stop at the red light," said
nity for graft. de Michele. "That's institu-
"Whenever there's a dire sit- tional design, not culture."
uation, spending rules are Latin America countries
relaxed and there's always consistently rank among
someone around looking to the most corrupt. The lat-
take advantage to make est survey by Berlin-based
a profit," said José Ugaz, a Transparency International
former Peruvian prosecutor found that more than half
who jailed former President In this May 18, 2020, file photo, a pigeon flies in the General Cemetery, in La Paz, Bolivia. Even of the region's residents
Alberto Fujimori and was amid a global pandemic, there’s no sign that corruption is slowing down in Latin America. think the problem is getting
chairman of Transparency Associated Press worse, with 1 in 5 admit-
International from 2014-17. ting to paying a bribe to
Coronavirus clusters are still expired, cost the city 10 ated a task force to inves- But stealing state funds is public officials in the past
spreading in Latin America, times their listed price. tigate pandemic-related especially vexing in Latin year. Scandals involving of-
fueling a spike in deaths, Perhaps the biggest fall- crimes. Its nickname, "Co- America because of gap- ficials caught stealing from
swamping already-precar- out is in Bolivia, where the rona Jato," is a nod to the ing poverty and a tattered school lunch programs,
ious hospitals and threat- health minister was ar- region's biggest recent cor- social safety net. More passing briefcases full of
ening to ravage slumping rested amid allegations ruption scandal, the "Lava than half its workers toil in cash or placing lovers in
economies. that 170 ventilators were Jato," or "Car Wash," probe the informal sector without cushy jobs are frequently in
Against this backdrop, re- bought at inflated prices. that uncovered billions sto- health care or social secu- the news.
ports of fraud have prolifer- The breathing machines len from state-run compa- rity. Still, de Michele is optimis-
ated. were purchased for near- nies. "That's the real scandal," tic that social pressure will
On Tuesday, police in Rio ly $28,000 each. But their Tuesday's surprise search said Argentine writer Mar- bring change.
de Janeiro raided the gov- Spanish manufacturer said of the governor's mansion tín Caparrós, co-editor of A turning point came in
ernor's residence as part of it sold them to a distributor and 10 other addresses in a book about the region's 2016, when Brazilian con-
a widening probe into the for only 6,000 euros ($6,500). Rio has rattled Brazil's politi- most shameless stories of struction giant Odebrecht
alleged embezzlement of Making matter worse, the cal establishment because graft called "We Lost: Who admitted to paying $788
part of the $150 million in machines aren't suitable for Gov. Wilson Witzel is a Won the Americas Cup of million in bribes across Latin
public funds earmarked for longer-term care. fierce critic of President Jair Corruption?" (Spoiler alert: America over more than
building field hospitals. The probe threatens to de- Bolsonaro, accusing him An Argentine vice presi- a decade. That led to the
In Colombia, 14 of 32 gov- rail the presidential can- of undermining state mea- dent convicted of buying jailing of former presidents
ernors are under investiga- didacy of interim leader sures to fight the virus. Wit- a stake in a money-printing in Peru and Brazil.
tion for crimes ranging from Jeanine Anez. She as- zel denied any wrongdoing company while overseeing Technology can also help
embezzlement to unlaw- sumed power in Novem- and accused Bolsonaro of its bankruptcy proceedings protect state funds, de Mi-
fully awarding no-bid con- ber, promising a clean ordering the raid as politi- was voted the worst of- chele said.
tracts. break from 13 years of left- cal retribution. fender by readers). He cited Paraguay, which
In Argentina's capital of ist rule by Evo Morales, who To be sure, disasters breed Acceptance of corruption unveiled a platform al-
Buenos Aires, prosecutors resigned amid vote-rigging corruption all over the dates to the Spanish con- lowing users to track in al-
are probing a politically allegations. world, not just in Latin quest, when powerful vice- most real time the status of
connected crony for buy- Similar accusations of over- America. Spain, Italy and roys gave extensive land 110 emergency contracts
ing 15,000 N95 surgical billing have shaken Pana- other countries also have holdings to friends, and worth $26 million in spend-
masks that, despite having ma, where a top aide to been rocked by revelations forgiveness of sins could lit- ing tied to COVID-19. Fi-
President Laurentino Cor- of impropriety during the erally be bought from the nance Minister Benigno
tizo quit and his vice presi- pandemic. In the U.S., an Roman Catholic church, López said the platform will
dent is under pressure to estimated 16% of $1 billion Caparrós said. empower citizen groups to
resign after prosecutors last in aid spent after Hurricane Roberto de Michele, the monitor how resources are
month began investigat- Katrina was lost in potential- top transparency expert spent.
ing the planned purchase ly fraudulent payments. In at the Washington-based "The solution to corruption
of 100 ventilators at nearly one example, the Federal Inter-American Develop- is punitive justice," López
$50,000 each. Emergency Management ment Bank, disagrees, say- told The Associated Press.
In Brazil, which has the Agency paid one individu- ing that even in normal "But at least this tool puts
world's second-highest al rental assistance as well conditions, an estimated all public officials on notice
number of confirmed cas- as $8,000 to stay 70 nights 10% to 25% of global spend- that our actions will be un-
es, police in one state cre- at a hotel — in Hawaii. ing on health care is lost to der the microscope."q