In a Mexican Establishment Rattled by Corruption Scandals, Impunity Reigns John M. Ackerman - ProMarket
go to original November 6, 2017

Nude protest against impunity for political corruption in Mexico (Javier García)

High-profile scandals like Odebrecht, The Panama Papers, and Swiss Leaks have brought down powerful politicians and businesspeople across Latin America. In Mexico, however, not a single person has been indicted, much less convicted, for wrongdoing in any of these cases.

International corruption scandals put local criminal justice and legal systems to the test. Even highly corrupt or ineffective national institutions are often forced to kick into gear when put under an international spotlight. In recent years, cases such as Odebrecht, The Panama Papers, and Swiss Leaks have led to numerous powerful politicians and corporate executives being swept up by the dragnet in countries like Peru, Brazil, Egypt, Ecuador, Panama, Uruguay, and the Dominican Republic.

But in Mexico, impunity reigns supreme. Not a single person has been indicted, and much less convicted, for wrongdoing for any of these high-profile scandals. And when, a few days ago, one brave prosecutor tried to dig into the use of Odebrecht funds to finance president Enrique Peña Nieto’s 2012 electoral campaign, the prosecutor was summarily dismissed.

In Mexico, less than ten percent of all crimes are even reported to the authorities, according to official statistics. Of these, only two-thirds, or six percent of the total, are investigated. In general, the impunity rate stands at 99 percent. And when powerful individuals are involved, the numbers get very close to 100 percent.

Whenever an international corruption or tax-evasion scandal breaks out, Mexico is normally at the top of the list.

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Related: Those Presumably Involved in 'Paradise Papers' Investigated in Mexico (Prensa Latina)

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