Speakers:

• Eduardo Engel, Professor, Universidad de Chile and Director, Espacio Público
• Viridiana Ríos, Political Analyst
• José Ugaz, Partner, Benites, Vargas & Ugaz Abogados
• Roberto Simon, Senior Director and Head of the Anti-Corruption Working Group, AS/COA (moderator)

AS/COA’s Anti-Corruption Working Group convened a panel of experts from around the region on September 30 to discuss whether the pandemic could put Latin America in a better position to pass anti-corruption reforms. José Ugaz, partner at Benites, Vargas & Ugaz Abogados, noted that the region has an opportunity to generate a new narrative around fighting corruption. “If we link the issue of poverty and inequality to corruption, we can open a new, unexplored path of tackling corruption with a human rights perspective," commented Ugaz. However, reforms will not be achieved easily because “anti-corruption policy has always been a political weapon in Latin America,” warned political analyst Viridiana Ríos. As professor at the Universidad de Chile and director of Espacio Público, Eduardo Engel observed, “Corruption is the manifestation of weak institutions.” 

• Learn more about the AS/COA Anti-Corruption Working Group.
• Access the 2020 Capacity to Combat Corruption Index.

Speakers:

• Denisse Rodriguez-Olivari, Doctoral Candidate, Humboldt University 
• Samuel Rotta, Executive Director, Proética 
• Nicolás Urrutia, Senior Analyst, Control Risks 
• Roberto Simon, Senior Director and Head of the Anti-Corruption Working Group, AS/COA (moderator)

Peru made progress with its score in the 2020 Capacity to Combat Corruption (CCC) Index, co-authored by AS/COA and Control Risks. Experts from the country discussed the state of the anti-corruption movement and how the COVID-19 pandemic might affect not only arrests and investigations, but also future budget allocations to the judiciary system, given that forecasts predict Peru could suffer a GDP contraction of 12 percent.

• Learn more about the AS/COA Anti-Corruption Working Group.
• Access the 2020 Capacity to Combat Corruption Index.

Speakers:

• Geert Aalbers, Partner, Control Risks 
• Marcelo Ribeiro de Oliveira, Federal Prosecutor
• Alana Rizzo, Advisor, Albright Stonebridge Group 
• Roberto Simon, Senior Director and Head of the Anti-Corruption Working Group, AS/COA (moderator)

Brazil's civil society and judicial system are feeling the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the 2020 Capacity to Combat Corruption (CCC) Index, co-developed by AS/COA and Control Risks, shows the country experienced serious setbacks since before this health crisis, leading to a 10 percent drop in its overall score since 2019. Federal Prosecutor Marcelo Riberio de Oliveira explained on an AS/COA panel a new anti-abuse of authority law signed by President Jair Bolsonaro made it more difficult for the judicial system to prosecute corruption crimes. "Even my opinions can be considered an abuse of authority," he said. Alana Rizzo talked about how Brazil's "civic space is shrinking," explaining that mechanisms to fight corruption, such as the country's Council for Financial Activities Control, are under threat, and the economic recession makes the work of free press even more difficult when 18 percent of Brazilians have no access to local news. On the corporate side, Geert Aalbers said the pandemic is a test of whether companies have the resources to invest in compliance.

Speakers:

• Mariana Campos, Public Expenditure Program Coordinator, México Evalúa
• Francisco García, Associate Analyst, Control Risks
• Pablo Montes Mendoza, Anticorruption Coordinator, Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO)
• Roberto Simon, Senior Director and Head of the Anti-Corruption Working Group, AS/COA (moderator)

AS/COA's Anti-Corruption Working Group Head Roberto Simon kicked off the panel on the state of Mexico's anti-corruption environment by discussing some of the findings on Mexico in the CCC Index 2020 report, including the country’s eighth-place ranking, the quality of its democracy, rule-making processes, and government transparency. México Evalúa's Mariana Campos said the country’s the low ranking for institutional independence was unsurprising. “We lag in having a generation of real civil servants in key institutions,” she said, adding that the current administration “does not trust” civil society. Campos also highlighted the need to incentivize police performance and professionalize security forces, which cannot be done without better coordination between local governments and broader fiscal reform.

Control Risks analyst Francisco García spoke about how the Mexican government’s vertical structure reduces the transparency of anti-corruption efforts, saying, “There isn't a willingness by the goverment to go to the full length of what an anti-corruption investigation is.” IMCO's Pablo Montes Mendoza elaborated on the question of asset recovery, the need for checks and balances in anti-corruption work, and the need for new policy that uses data and technology to better detect and prevent corruption.

Speakers:

• Geert Aalbers, Partner, Control Risks
• Roberto Simon, Senior Director and Head of the Anti-Corruption Working Group, AS/COA

The anti-corruption wave that began a few years ago has clearly lost steam, and in some cases like Brazil and Guatemala appears to be dangerously receding, said Roberto Simon, opening the discussion on the 2020 Capacity to Combat Corruption Index, the report's second edition, during the launch event. The COVID-19 response is putting tremendous fiscal strain on governments in Latin America, which means fewer resources dedicated to anti-corruption, as well as fewer resources dedicated to compliance for companies, said Geert Aalbers. The report authors detailed how the 2020 edition of the report evaluates 15 countries, seven more than the inaugural edition, across 14 variables. They also underscored how the index measures, not the amount or perceived amount of corruption in a country, but the country’s ability to detect and prosecute corruption.

As for the findings, Aalbers noted that one country made gains in each of the three sub-categories: Peru in legal capacity, Argentina in democracy and political institutions, and Colombia in civil society, media, and private sector. Peru was “generally a good news story,” improving in six of seven variables, said Aalbers, but its Achilles Heel remains on the democratic side and legislative ability. The dissolution of Congress allowed for some new blood, he said, but high fragmentation makes it difficult to pass reforms. Mexico, meanwhile, clearly expanded enforcement against financial crimes and also passed some unprecedented laws against tax fraud, said Simon, though observers are still waiting to see what their long-term consequences will be. One area Mexico scores above average? Civil society mobilization against corruption. It’s clear civil society has driven the anti-corruption debate and was able to shape legislation, said Simon, notably in the case of the Ley 3de3.

Aalbers closed the the discussion by noting a “concerning” trend of political polarization from the perspective of companies operating in Latin America. Companies, he said, “need to be acutely aware of not just the standard corruption risks we’re all familiar with, but they need to closely monitor the political risk environment because it’s changing very rapidly in many countries.”

Learn more about the AS/COA Anti-Corruption Working Group.

Speakers:

• Diana Salazar, Attorney General of Ecuador 
• Woo Lee, Deputy Chief of the International Unit at the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice
• Mark Califano, Chief Legal Officer and Regional Managing Director of the Americas, Nardello
• Roberto Simon, Senior Director for Policy and Head of the Anti-Corruption Working Group, AS/COA (Moderator) 

AS/COA's Anti-Corruption Working Group hosted a group of experts to discuss the future of anti-money laundering in Latin America and addressing the impact of this issue on governments and the private sector. Attorney General of Ecuador Diana Salazar spoke about the many investigations into financial crimes involving public- and private-sector figures, pointing to the upcoming trial of former President Rafael Correa. Salazar also expanded on the effects of a 2017 law limiting public officials' participation in fiscal paradises, saying that there are signs money launderers are trying to find new ways to move illicit funds. Woo Lee of the U.S. Department of Justice underlined the difficulties of investigating money laundering, saying "the FBI will compare it to a jigsaw puzzle with pieces and hints of red flags, but not the full picture, and we need assistance from other countries to put pieces together."

The panelists also discussed Venezuela and the challenges in monitoring transaction activity. Mark Califano of Nardello spoke about the difficulty in differentiating between legal and illegal money. With the current political situation in Caracas, he said there is an "unquestionable heightened scrutiny" among authorities when looking at assets coming or going to the South American country. The panelists were asked about technological innovations in money laundering, such as cryptocurrency wires. Califano projcted this technology to advance in the next five to ten years, and cause instability in local banks. 

Speakers:

• Geert Aalbers, Senior Partner, Control Risks
• Susan Clancy, INCAE Faculty
• Roberto Simon, Senior Director for Policy and Head of the Anti-Corruption Working Group, AS/COA (moderator)

At a Miami event on the AS/COA Anti-Corruption Working Group's Capacity to Combat Corruption Index, experts discussed the results, methodology, and context of the report ranking Latin America's largest economies. They also covered the correlations between corruption and countries' GDP and competitiveness levels. "When you look at the three dimensions on social progress, [the report] is giving policymakers and people who care about corruption a sense of where would you actually start if you want to do something about corruption," said Susan Clancy.

• Learn more about the Anti-Corruption Working Group. 

Speakers:

• Mercedes de Freitas, Executive Director, Transparencia Venezuela 
• José Ignacio Hernández, Special Prosecutor, Interim Government of Venezuela 
• Geert Aalbers, Senior Partner, Control Risks
• Roberto Simon, Senior Director for Policy and Head of the Anti-Corruption Working Group, AS/COA (moderator)

As AS/COA launched the Capacity to Combat Corruption Index, the first instance of an annual tool co-developed by its Anti-Corruption Working Group and Control Risks, Roberto Simon presented the Index's results and moderated a discussion on the fight for transparency in Venezuela. The event included Mercedes de Freitas, the recipent of AS/COA's inaugural Anti-Corruption Leadership Award.

• Learn more about AS/COA’s Anti-Corruption Working Group.

Roberto Simon, el jefe del Grupo de Trabajo de Anti Corrupción de AS/COA habló con la Voz de América sobre corrupción en Latinoamérica en un evento organizado por la organización. "En varios países de la región es una forma de hacer política, es la forma con la cual a veces el gobernador o el presidente construye su apoyo en el congreso", dijo Simon.

Que la corrupción retrasa el desarrollo de América Latina, no hay ninguna duda. Sobre lo que no hay certeza es en cuánto, concluyeron expertos reunidos en Nueva York por AS/COA. Una de las razones: La corrupción se construye en medio de un camino en el que se evita dejar huellas.

Speakers

• Sérgio Moro, Federal Judge, Brazil
• Brian Winter, Vice President of Policy, AS/COA; Editor-in-Chief, Americas Quarterly

After Americas Quarterly's Brian Winter opened the magazine's conference on Latin America's fight against corruption, Brazil's Federal Judge Sérgio Moro took the stage with Winter to discuss how Lava Jato—an anti-corruption operation with a regional reach—as well as the consequences for Brazilians' faith in democracy. Moro also responded to criticisms of how people have been targeted by the Lava Jato investigation, saying his team has investigated politicians on the left and right. "Sometimes people have illusions about some idols and sometimes it's time for people to realize the truth," said Moro.

Speakers:

• Eduardo Engel, Professor of Economics, University of Chile; Former Chairman, Presidential Advisory Council on Conflicts of Interest, Influence Peddling, and Corruption in the Bachelet administration
• Néstor Humberto Martínez, Attorney General, Colombia
• Rodrigo Janot, Professor, Universidad de los Andes; former Attorney General, Brazil
• Iván Velásquez, Commissioner, Comisión Internacional contra la Impunidad en Guatemala (CICIG)
• José Ugaz, Former Chair, Transparency International
• Shannon K. O’Neil, Vice President, Senior fellow for Latin America Studies, Council on Foreign Relations (moderator)

At Americas Quarterly's conference about the fight against corruption in Latin America, leaders heading investigations that cracked down on corruption at the highest levels of government talked about what these operations accomplished in Latin America and the lessons learned in recent years. Although millions of people took to the streets against corruption across the region, as Transparency International's José Ugaz explained, panelists agreed that having an independent judiciary, proper communication, and following the money with the help of external actors are all crucial. The next steps, said panelists, would be working on structural changes with all levels of government and engaging the private sector in better compliance and regulation.

Speakers:

• Geert Aalbers, Senior Partner, Control Risks
• Thelma Aldana, Attorney General, Guatemala
• Alan Clutterbuck, President and Co-founder, Fundación Red de Acción Política
• Claudio X. González, President and Co-Founder, Mexicanos contra la Corrupción y la Impunidad
• Sérgio Moro, Federal Judge, Brazil
• Brian Winter, Vice President of Policy, AS/COA; Editor-in-Chief, Americas Quarterly (moderator)

What are the next steps and policies needed to continue making gains on anti-corruption movements in Latin America? At the Americas Quarterly's conference, experts and Latin American leaders from Brazil, Guatemala, and Mexico discussed measures needed in the public and private sectors, as well as changes in societies' culture. Top issues, panelists concurred, include rooting out illicit financing of political parties and campaigns. collaborating with international agencies, and ensuring freedom of the press.

Speakers:

• Antonio Carlos Welter, Brazilian prosecutor, senior member of the Lava Jato unit investigating crimes at Petrobras
• Iván Velásquez, Colombian prosecutor, head of the UN-backed investigative body CICIG in Guatemala 
• Thelma Aldana, Guatemalan attorney general
• José Ugaz, Peruvian jurist, global chair of Transparency International 
• Brian Winter, Editor-in-Chief, Americas Quarterly; Vice President, Policy, Americas Society/Council of the Americas (moderator)

Top leaders fighting corruption in Latin America discussed how operations such as Lava Jato in Brazil and the CICIG in Guatemala work in practice, what is changing in the region, and the institutional reforms needed to make systemic graft a thing of the past.  

In its latest issue, Americas Quarterly identifies five "corruption busters" from Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru. Their stories of persistence define the anti-corruption work sweeping much of the region, resulting in stronger democracies, judicial systems, and civic engagement. Read the complete profile of Latin America’s Top Five Corruption Busters.

In its latest issue, Americas Quarterly spotlights how a new generation of prosecutors and activists is making historic progress in the battle against graft—and jailing those responsible, no matter how powerful. The magazine identified five "corruption busters" from Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru. Their stories of persistence define the anti-corruption work sweeping much of the region, resulting from stronger democracies, judicial systems, and civic engagement.

Citing recent cases in Brazil, Guatemala, and Honduras, José Ugaz, Peruvian jurist and global chair of Transparency International, says the shift "reflects a trend in the region in order to confront corruption." The trend might change the course of Latin American politics and business for good. 

• Read the complete profile of Latin America’s Top Five Corruption Busters.
• Watch a live event with AQ's corruption busters on February 9.

El jefe del grupo de trabajo de Anticorrupción de AS/COA Roberto Simon habló con Cuestión de Poder de NTN24 sobre el nuevo Índice Capacidad para Combatir la Corrupción, realizado en conjunto con la firma Control Risks.

Simon explicó por qué Brasil ocupa el segundo lugar del índice. "Lo que hicimos fue desarrollar una herramienta que evalúa la capacidad de los países de sacar a la luz, castigar y detener la corrupción. En ese sentido, Brasil es un país que tiene algo muy distinto porque tiene instrumentos legales muy fuertes para combatir la corrupción, pero también un sistema político poco desarrollado". "Brasil está en primer lugar en términos de su capacidad de investigar, de los acuerdos internacionales. Pero en términos de sus reglas de financiamiento de campañas políticas, de lobby o de lo que es necesario para pasar una ley en el congreso, Brasil está en niveles similares que otros países de la región como Perú, México y otros", dijo Simon.

Ante la pregunta de si es realista pensar que hay que evitar la corrupción para no tener que combatirla, Simon respondió que sacarla por completo es imposible, ya que en todo el mundo existe. "La cuestión para América Latina es cómo reducir de manera sustancial el problema de la corrupción y crear mecanismos de control más fuertes. Si desarrollamos mecanismos más transparentes, más eficientes y más republicanos, sin duda eso baja el riesgo de la corrupción. Ese es uno de los componentes que revisamos en el índice, pero también es importante decir que la capacidad para combatir efectivamente, no solo de prevenir, de poner gente en la cárcel, eso hace mucha diferencia en la lucha contra la corrupción. Es muy importante que la región siga haciendo progreso en ese sentido", dijo finalmente el co-autor del reporte.

Roberto Simon, el jefe del Grupo de Trabajo de Anti Corrupción de AS/COA habló con la Voz de América sobre el nuevo índice Capacidad para Combatir la Corrupción de AS/COA y Control Risks. En un evento sobre corrupción en Latinoamérica organizado por AS/COA, Simon se refirió a algunas de las variables consideradas para este estudio: "Desde la independencia del poder judicial, hasta la existencia del periodismo investigativo, la calidad de las leyes para combatir los crímenes de cuello blanco". En el evento también participó Mercedes de Freitas, directora ejecutiva de Transparencia Venezuela, quien habló sobre la corrupción en el país. "Todo es una oportunidad de corrupción (en Venezuela). Por supuesto PDVSA es como la madre porque es la que genera los grandes recursos del estado", dijo de Freitas.