Jorge Ramos Has a Simple Proposal to Combat Corruption in Mexico Jorge Ramos - Splinter | |
go to original October 31, 2017 |
Jorge Ramos (New York Magazine)
I propose that we fight corruption in Mexico, and my idea about how to do that is neither perfect nor is it certain to put all who are guilty in jail. But it would be a great first step. I suggest we create an International Commission Against Corruption in Mexico under the auspices of the United Nations.
First, we have to admit that Mexicans by ourselves have not managed to put an end to corruption. Quite the opposite: We have many corrupt politicians, many institutions that are rotten to the core and many processes — from elections to awarding contracts to getting a driver’s license — that only move forward through cheating, bribing and scamming. Also, was President Enrique Peña Nieto’s 2012 presidential campaign financed by illegal money? There must be an independent investigation in order for us to find it out.
The second step will be more difficult to accept. It is the admission that we need help, and we need the urgent support of a reliable internationally recognized organization, like the UN, to untangle this extremely messy business.
Guatemala has already done it. After the end of the 1994-1996 peace process, Guatemalans realized that their justice system was very inefficient. In 2007 they agreed to create the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala. A decade later, they managed to remove President Otto Pérez Molina from office, as well as his vice president, Roxana Baldetti, on corruption charges.
Mexico could do the same. If we wanted to.
... This idea of an international commission should not get in the way of Mexico’s selecting an independent prosecutor. The fight against corruption in Mexico would then be twofold: from the inside out, and from the outside in. And the two would not oppose each other. The commission would operate under Mexican law, supporting criminal investigations in the country and proposing reforms to the judiciary.
We must try something new, or corruption will continue to devour us. Only 6% of Mexicans said they agree with how democracy works in the country, and only 2% have “almost complete trust in the government,” according to a survey by the Pew Center. This is one of the lowest trust index figures worldwide.
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