For Moody's, the withdrawal of the International Commission against Impunity weakens efforts to improve the rule of law in a country with high levels of corruption.
For Moody's, President Morales' decision to end the mandate of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) is a setback for the country because corruption is still widespread and institutions are still fragile.
After President Morales decided to end the mandate of the International Commission against Impunity, the Constitutional Court suspended the Guatemalan government's decision.
On January 7th, the Guatemalan government finalized the agreement between the Central American country and the United Nations, and set a 24-hour deadline for the Commission to cease functioning.
Arguing that "it has violated human rights in Guatemala through selective and partial justice", President Morales decided to end the mandate of the United Nations International Commission against Impunity.
After more than ten years of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), the Morales administration announced in 2018 that it would not renew the agreement with the United Nations that establishes the foreign institution dedicated to criminal investigation.
Arguing that it is time to "strengthen State institutions," President Morales has announced that he will not renew the mandate of the International Commission against Impunity, whose term expires in a year.
Following a controversy caused by statements made by the Attorney General of the Nation, the Panamanian business sector is demanding that a thorough investigation be carried out, asserting that things are moving "dangerously towards the exhaustion of any principle of legality".
From a statement issued by the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama (CCIAP):
Entrepreneurs feel that corruption in the public administration is the State's main problem, and they affirm that a high percentage of companies have been exposed to bribes.
The Coordinating Committee of Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial and Financial Associations of Guatemala carried out the "I Survey of Business Perception 2018", and among the main results that were obtained, were that "...38% of entrepreneurs said that corruption in public administration is the state's main problem which prevents development, while 43% say that their companies have been exposed to bribes."
In 2017, the perception of corruption in public institutions increased in all of the countries in the region, with the exception of Guatemala and Nicaragua, where it remained the same as in 2016, and in Costa Rica, where it decreased slightly.
The public sector still perceives Nicaragua to be the most corrupt country (transparency level 26 on a scale from 0 to 100), followed by Guatemala (28), Honduras (29), El Salvador (33), Panama (37) and Costa Rica (59).
A new law initiative pretends to forbid the participation of companies that have been convicted in other countries for crimes against the public administration in contracts with the State.
The bill that was presented on January 23, requests the modification of texts in the legal framework that regulate Panamanian public procurement, to avoid awarding contracts to companies that are accused of acts of corruption in Panama and also abroad.
The union of Panamanian businessmen indicates that a great deal of uncertainty has been caused due to the handling of high-profile investigations and judicial processes such as that of Odebrecht.
From a statement issued by the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama (CCIAP):
Proportion of people who have paid a bribe in the last year to access a public service: in Panama 38%, in Honduras 33%, in El Salvador 31%, in Nicaragua 30%, in Guatemala 28% and in Costa Rica, 24%.
EDITORIAL
The report "People and Corruption: Latin America and the Caribbean", prepared by Transparency International, shows how inhabitants of Latin American countries have got used to corruption: from the scandalous cases at the highest political level to under the table payments which are made on a daily basis when carrying out procedures as simple as requesting medical care in a public hospital or obtaining a document from a public office.
The lower house of the US Congress has approved the law known as the Nicaraguan Investment Conditionality Act or Nica Act, which proposes placing conditions on loans granted by international institutions to the government of Daniel Ortega.
The Nica Act, promoted by two US congressmen to limit investment and international financing in Nicaragua, was again seen by the lower house, which unanimously approved it. Now the bill will pass to the Senate, but in order to become effective, it must pass through three more proceedings.
An ICEFI study concludes that corruption in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras covers "virtually all sectors" and in Guatemala alone, the losses generated are estimated at $550 million per year.
The book "Corruption: Its Paths and Impact on Society and an Agenda to Confront it in the Central American North Triangle", "... studies the relationship between corruption and democracy, highlighting that corruption in the C.A.N.T -El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras - has special characteristics derived from historical aspects, such as the construction of weak states, periods of authoritarianism, civil war and counterinsurgency systems, and the impairment of judicial independence."
In Costa Rica, the National Road Safety Council has signed a confidentiality agreement with the UNOPS to keep information on two publicly funded road construction projects a secret.
Guatemalan businesses have declared persona non grata congressmen who voted for a law which exempted general secretaries of political parties from responsibility in matters relating to illicit electoral financing and increased the possibility of commuting prison sentences with money.
The law, popularly known as the "Corruption Pact", was heavily resisted by Guatemalan society.Pressure from the populace, together with a resolution contrary to the norm from the Constitutional Court, forced Congress to backtrack and archive the law.
Equality of citizens under the law, a defining feature of a democracy, it is a formality in Costa Rica, generating in practice wealth and privileges for some, and poverty and hopelessness for others.
OPINION - Jorge Cobas González - Director of CentralAmericaData
Some Costa Rican citizens - not a few - have "acquired rights" because they belong to one of the corporations to which the laws assigns multiple privileges, and others - an overwhelming majority - work to pay for the privileges granted to the former group.
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O4Bi is a system that allows to control and manage what a company needs: the complete process of development of works, accounts receivable, treasury, banks, sales and accounting.
O4Bi is a very robust system that allows to control and...
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