Corruption is one of the great problems that afflicts the world, because it brings with it mistrust, uncertainty and injustice, because it deepens social inequality, affects the daily life of the common citizen, reduces the opportunities of the poorest and compromises democracy itself.
And it is the less developed economies that are most exposed to corruption and, therefore, those that need greater efforts to contain it. This does not mean that rich countries are oblivious to this problem, but one of the factors that could respond to more or less corruption is the strength of their democratic institutions and, therefore, the feeling of greater or lesser justice. and equality.
Although there have been efforts to curb corruption, Latin America stands as one of the most corrupt regions, being the protagonist of great scandals that surprised the world and that showed us how large mafias operated in the sight and patience of all, with relative ease and under the protection of political and economic power, undermining the public faith and confidence of Latin American society.
Thus, we can remember the emblematic case of Odebrecht, a Brazilian construction company that would have paid bribes and bribes to politicians in that country, which gained worldwide fame by exporting its model of corruption to 12 countries, involving presidents and former presidents. Or “the cause of notebooks” in Argentina, a plot in which the payment of bribes to businessmen and former Kirchner officials was discovered, after their names appeared in eight notebooks that account for a huge network of bribes during “the K era. “. In both cases, it is clear how there are companies with a commercial strategy designed to defraud in an environment conducive to doing so and that, faced with the evidence or upon being discovered, resort to the universal justification that “everyone does it” or that it is the only way to access an already corrupt system.
And what about Chile? For years we believed we were a country free of corruption, until we opened our eyes and realized that corruption existed and was bigger than we thought. Cases such as Ceresita, Penta, SQM, Caval, Corpesca, Tecnodata and many more paraded in the press, until today we come across the great scandal around Itelecom, of which we still have no real notion of its implications, but which has shown us the worst face of “doing business” through unscrupulous actions, which even used people on the streets to defraud the State.
Facts like these have led Latin American governments to implement and reinforce anti-corruption measures, which, together with deeper investigations and the sentences handed down to their protagonists, have given a certain sense of progress in this fight. However, the reality is not entirely encouraging, as indicated by the latest Corruption Perception Index 2020 by Transparency International, which revealed that in Latin America only 3 of the 19 countries analyzed are above the accepted levels, with Chile being one of them (along with Uruguay and Costa Rica), which in turn does not mean that corruption is under control or has to be conformed.
And precisely the context of the pandemic has deepened corruption, since, in the face of the emergency, governments had to provide additional resources, which were allocated through accelerated public procurement processes, without tenders and with fewer protocols. Thus, we learned about surcharges of medical supplies and food boxes, contracting via direct treatment and, even, we saw how authorities from Argentina, Peru and Ecuador “skipped the line” to access the vaccine against COVID-19, converting the right to be vaccinated in the privilege of powerful in Latin America.
This is an important warning regarding the urgency of preventing corruption. We cannot wait for Latin American countries to reduce their inequality and increase their GDP per capita, to take care of this problem. We need states to implement local reforms, increase investigative efforts, and increase penalties. However, in the face of weak governments, diminished economies, and a still uncontrolled health emergency in the region, we need the private sector. But not only as an entity that undertakes not to commit crimes, but also promotes active participation in prevention and in reporting irregular events, wherever they come from.
It is time for companies to move from speech to action and not wait for stricter regulations to be made flesh to define their standards against corruption, to assume their responsibility and commitment to a more just and equitable society.
We do not need repentant heroes who, after being discovered, commit themselves to this fight. On the contrary, it is important to stop normalizing antiprobial behaviors, especially justifying them because they were committed by a friend or someone from the “close circle”.
This crisis is the opportunity to overturn the reputational capital achieved, to be an example for their peers and to differentiate themselves from those who aim to meet the goals under ethical standards, to those who want success no matter how.
- The content in this opinion column is the sole responsibility of its author, and does not necessarily reflect the editorial line or position of The counter.
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