Chile finishes atop a new study that aims to prod discussion on how to deter, uncover and punish corruption.
FOR DECADES CORRUPTION has plagued countries across Latin America, being a constant refrain that strikes down nations’ political and business leaders. The topic was a major issue in last year’s national elections in Brazil and Mexico.
Now, a newly released study aims to help countries in the region find a pathway to tackling and reducing corruption.
Authors of the Capacity to Combat Corruption Index, released this week by the Americas Society and the Council of the Americas, organizations dedicated to raising public awareness on issues affecting the Western Hemisphere, and Control Risks, a global risk consulting firm, hope the study will help show successful strategies to reduce corruption.
“If we put countries in a comparative perspective, we can look at particular aspects at where countries are successful and other challenging areas where countries can do better,” said Roberto Simon, senior director of policy at AS/COA.
Using a scale of 0-10, the index assessed eights countries’ ability to combat corruption. It examines countries’ abilities to deter, uncover and punish corruption, rather than looking at actual levels of corruption. The higher the score, the better ability that country has to combat corruption.
Which country finished on top? Chile, thanks to what the index authors say is an ability to maintain a more stable and functioning democracy and relatively higher educational levels. The country received a score of 6.66.
Venezuela, with a collapsing economy and recent political instability caused by the standoff between President Nicolás Maduro and Juan Guaidó, ranks lowest on the list with an overall score of 1.71.
But Venezuela is not unique in its experience with political corruption, say the report’s authors, who note that 10 former presidents across Latin America are convicted or charged with acts of corruption.
In addition to Chile and Venezuela, the study examined Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico and Peru. The eight nations collectively represent almost 90% of the gross domestic product generated from Latin America.
Using 14 variables, such as “quality of leniency and plea bargain instruments,” “lawmaking and ruling processes” and “quality of the press and investigative journalism,” the index scored each country in three sub-categories: legal capacity; democracy and political institutions; and civil society, media and the private sector.
“Our goal was not to shame countries or to denounce them, or anything like that,” Simon said. “It was most of all to trigger a policy-oriented discussion about how to improve countries’ capacity to fight corruption.”
While Chile ranked No. 1, it fell short compared to Brazil in “legal capacity.” That, the study said, is due to two major factors: “comparatively underdeveloped leniency and plea bargain instruments and less established channels for cooperation with foreign partners (particularly the U.S. and Europe).”
Chile was followed by Brazil (6.14), which did well in the “legal capacity” sub-category but had below-average scores on enforceability of campaign financing legislation and the quality of lawmaking and ruling processes, which reflects “a relatively fragmented party system,” according to the report.
Colombia (5.36) and Argentina (5.33) ranked third and fourth, followed by Peru (5.17), Mexico (4.65) and Guatemala (4.55).
While this was the first edition of the CCC Index, Simon says they hope to make it an annual exercise. “So, starting on year two, we’ll start seeing trajectories.”