Central America is experiencing an anti-corruption "Spring," a UN official said Wednesday, pointing to probes and trials of leaders and ex-leaders and to toughening laws against graft.
"This is creating a real Spring in the fight against corruption," Amado Philip de Andres, regional representative of the UN Officer on Drugs and Crime, told reporters in Panama.
Borrowing from the "Arab Spring" term referring to pro-democracy revolts in the Middle East, Andres hailed the recent advances Central America has made in battling corruption.
Most notable was this year's ouster of Guatemalan president Otto Perez and his vice-president amid a graft scandal exposed by a UN-backed anti-impunity body.
"Guatemala's case was a paradigm shift because you saw the huge example the Guatemalan attorney general's office had in prosecuting a president," Philip said.
He also highlighted protests in Honduras against the alleged corruption of President Juan Orlando Hernandez, and Panama's investigation of former president Ricardo Martinelli for charges including embezzlement of public money and spying on opponents.
El Salvador is also taking to trial a former president, Francisco Flores, for illicit enrichment and money laundering.
"Compared to the rest of the continent, Panama is the second country in terms of cooperating in cases against corruption," Philip said.
Central America is experiencing an anti-corruption “Spring,” a UN official said Wednesday, pointing to probes and trials of leaders and ex-leaders and to toughening laws against graft.
“This is creating a real Spring in the fight against corruption,” Amado Philip de Andres, regional representative of the UN Officer on Drugs and Crime, told reporters in Panama.
Borrowing from the “Arab Spring” term referring to pro-democracy revolts in the Middle East, Andres hailed the recent advances Central America has made in battling corruption.
Most notable was this year’s ouster of Guatemalan president Otto Perez and his vice-president amid a graft scandal exposed by a UN-backed anti-impunity body.
“Guatemala’s case was a paradigm shift because you saw the huge example the Guatemalan attorney general’s office had in prosecuting a president,” Philip said.
He also highlighted protests in Honduras against the alleged corruption of President Juan Orlando Hernandez, and Panama’s investigation of former president Ricardo Martinelli for charges including embezzlement of public money and spying on opponents.
El Salvador is also taking to trial a former president, Francisco Flores, for illicit enrichment and money laundering.
“Compared to the rest of the continent, Panama is the second country in terms of cooperating in cases against corruption,” Philip said.
