In the United States, these past few days have seen a series of high-profile outbursts, from tennis superstar Serena Williams threatening a line judge to Congressman Joe Wilson yelling at President Obama to hip-hop icon Kanye West drunkenly questioning the judgment of the Video Music Awards. Many commentators have wondered whether these expressions of anger are indicative of increasing mistrust for authority in American society.
Something similar has happened in Colombia in the past month or so, but in our case the trend is clear and undeniable. Indeed, the question in the Colombian case is whether we should trust authority at all.
If this past week was the “week of outbursts” in the U.S., then the past month was Colombia’s “month of corruption”. Corrupt practices have always been a major problem in Colombia, but rarely has the country produced so much graft-related news in such a short period of time.
First there were revelations that 48 thousand government officials, including 800 mayors and 30 governors, were being investigated for corruption. Inspector General Alejandro Ordóñez also expressed concern about the political and institutional effects of the intensifying clashes between the high courts and the executive branch, mostly over corruption investigations.
There were also allegations by former DAS official Rafael Garcia that the Colombian intelligence services facilitated paramilitary drug trafficking. In related news, former paramilitary “El Alemán” continued to reveal details of his relationships with politicians in Chocó. Mario Uribe, Alvaro’s cousin, continued to deny allegations of involvement with paramilitaries and supposed bribery related the president’s first re-election campaign. Conservative Senator Alirio Villamizar, recently accused of receiving bribes from Uribistas, was found to be hiding 1 billion pesos in his home.
These recent scandals come after a year full of dirty corruption allegations, from Guillermo Valencia Cossio’s relationship with drug trafficker Don Mario to Bogota mayor Samuel Moreno’s blatantly corrupt administration.
Many of the corruption accusations in the Uribe years have targeted the president’s supporters. In Colombia’s polarized climate, government integrity turned into a nasty political issue. What has become increasingly obvious, however, is that corruption is endemic in nearly every political party. For example, mayor Moreno of the Polo Democratico, perhaps the strongest of Colombia’s true opposition parties, is running one of the country’s most corrupt and dysfunctional city administrations.
">Now, the effects of corruption are well known, but in Colombia’s present context they are particularly worrying.
One obvious effect of corruption is to weaken the citizenry’s already fragile trust in the government and to deepen political apathy. As Colombia attempts to emerge from its violent past, a key to lasting stability will be to strengthen its democratic institutions. This requires not only structural reforms, but also a trusting, honest relationship between the citizens and the government. Unfortunately, that relationship is in a dangerous downward spiral. In Medellin, for example, just 35 percent of people report crimes to the police, down from 52 percent in 2006. Much of the drop is due to a perception of growing police corruption.
Corruption is also endangering Colombia’s fight against drug trafficking and criminal violence. Obviously, if criminals continue to be shielded by corrupt politicians, the fight against their brutal empires is a lost cause. More worryingly, government officials’ dealings with drug traffickers and murderers send a message to citizens that crime and violence are normal and acceptable.
Finally, this upsurge in corruption could not have come at a worse time. From massive local projects like the Bogota Metro to the Justice and Peace process with demobilized paramilitaries to the second re-election referendum, the current generation of leaders is making decisions that will greatly affect Colombia’s political future.
But where is all this corruption coming from? Colombia has not traditionally been known as an extremely corrupt country, especially in comparison to some of its neighbors. What about Colombia makes it so vulnerable to corrupt practices today?
I think one factor facilitating corruption is the fact that, with some notable exceptions, it tends to go unnoticed by the mainstream media. While Pablo Escobar’s hippos are frequent stars on Colombian news, coverage of corruption does not have the appropriate urgency, persistence and clarity. Even looking beyond absurd examples like the hippos, when it comes to political coverage, the media focuses disproportionately on security issues, especially the FARC. As Sergio Fajardo said recently, corruption is probably a far bigger problem for Colombia than Mono Jojoy. Unfortunately, most mainstream television outlets and newspapers seem reluctant to expose and condemn corrupt practices.
Related to the issue above, another cause of corruption is the bad example set by the country’s top political leaders. Most of the 48,000 officials being investigated for corrupt practices are low-level officials who, seeing the extent of corruption among the country’s political elite, have no moral qualms about lying, cheating and stealing themselves. Corrupt practices seem to exhibit a trickle-down effect.
A third obstacle to ending corrupt practices is immunity. Only a very small percentage of those officials investigated for corruption are likely to suffer legal consequences anytime soon. At the lower levels of government, there is no political and legal infrastructure to deal with such a large number of investigations. Worse yet, at the upper levels, corrupt politicians are protected by political maneuvering, legal loopholes and often by their own political party. In the seven years that Uribe has been in office, very few Uribistas have had to pay for their corruption. Indeed, the de la U party recently proposed a law to protect politicians who resigned amidst parapolitics allegations from Supreme Court prosecution. Similarly, Samuel Moreno continues to govern Bogota despite being blatantly corrupt.
Finally, and most controversially, could there potentially be a so-called “cultural” factor driving Colombian corruption? Inspector General Ordóñez alluded to a general cultural tolerance for illicit enrichment last week. This topic is very much open to debate. In a sense, Ordóñez is simply confirming what was said above: the culture of corruption is contagious and spreads from the political elites all the way down to the average citizen.
But does that mean that there is something inherent in Colombian culture that drives corruption? The answer to that question is far more complex. What is clear is that corruption in Colombia seems to have gotten worse in recent years, without noticeable changes in Colombian culture. Indeed, the short-term ebbs and flows of corruption are more attributable to political and social factors than to culture.
Thankfully, despite the prevalence of corruption in Colombia, there is some cause for optimism. Most of the 48,000 investigations began with citizen complaints, suggesting that perhaps tolerance for corruption is beginning to diminish. Further, many major Presidential candidates from Andres Felipe Arias to Sergio Fajardo to Gustavo Petro have pledged that their campaigns will not be funded with any illegal money.
Nevertheless, the fight against corruption in Colombia will be a long uphill battle for years to come and, if the current re-election debate is any indication, dirty politics is here to stay.
Laureles191
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... You speak as if there is even one country in the world, whose government isn't corrupt. There is always "dirty money" involved in campaigns, no matter what country. Even the US's most recent presedential election had multiple candidates defending themselves against allegations (and all of them pledged that their campaigns wouldn't be funded with illegal money). A statement alone doesn't signify signs of diminishing corruption, because what politician in the world would state that they plan on accepting illegal money for campaign use? I'm not trying to say that corruption isn't a problem in this government, I'm just saying don't make it sound as if corruption is some new concept that Colombia is learning through Uribe's administration, because trust me, it has been a problem for years before. Its not something that new now that Uribe is in office. |
Pablo Rojas
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... I completely agree. In fact, I explicitly said multiple times that corruption is an ancient problem in Colombia. I also explicitly said that it is a problem in almost every political party, not just the Uribista coalition. And, yes, corruption is a problem in almost every country, but I didn't mean to imply that it was exclusive to Colombia. Either way, the point I'm making is not that corruption is new or exclusively Colombian. The point is that corruption seems to be getting worse in our country. Some, including Fajardo, have even argued that it is the country's most pressing challenge. And I agree with you about the candidates' anti-corruption statements. Obviously it's empty rhetoric, but I think it does indicate that people are beginning to pay more and more attention to corruption, which is a step forward. |
Andrewmann552
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... I agree with the first two comments, corruption is a serious problem which has scarred Colombia for decades. But I want to add that Uribe doesn't make it better with this shady referendum he's trying to get passed. |
gringo76
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... As long as the foundation is supported by drug money the corruption will be a factor. |
Laureles191
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... I did catch that you mentioned that corruption is an ancient problem etc. But I suppose I disagree more with the statement, "Colombia has not traditionally been known as an extremely corrupt country". To me that seemed to imply that Colombia's corruption is more intense now than ever before, which I'm not so sure I agree with. The fact is it may be getting more press coverage now than ever before, but that hardly indicates more corruption, rather more concern about it. |
ElGringo
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... Truth be told, you are both correct. I am not sure that corruption is on the rise in Colombia. I can affirm that corruption is a pressing matter that does not seem to be getting the attention it needs. In my part of Colombia, reports of corruption are simply ignored. Fact is, people here have given up on the authorities to take their reports seriously and have had the experience of suffering the wrath of local government. As I tread lightly on a matter this very moment as a victim caught in the middle of something bigger than life. I recently came to depend on tape recordings as a result. Corruption is a world wide problem that will never stop. Those of us who live in Colombia experience or witness corruption in its mature form. Corruption in Colombia has always been seen as a problem throughout the world for decades and no one seems to realy care about it. And why would the US Government do anything to help curtail the problem? I firmly believe that it does not serve their interests too and it is a practice they know well. |
Pablo Rojas
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... Laureles, ElGringo I completely about corruption's long history in Colombia (and elsewhere). Nearly every president before Uribe has presided over, or even been at the heart of, major corruption scandals. Ultimately, there is no reliable way to measure corruption. As you said, it is entirely possible that there is more news about it because there is greater concern (just like an increase drug seizures could indicate better law enforcement or a larger flow of illicit drugs). What I found notable is the dramatic increase in corruption news in recent weeks. In my very personal opinion, the Uribe administration's transformation of Colombia's political landscape (which has included at least some legally doubtful activities) has weakened the country's instutitions and turned Colombian politics into a sort of Wild West free-for-all. This context of weak or discredited institutions has allowed corrupt politicians of all parties and "ideologies" to steal, lie and cheat more freely than before. |
cococo
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... Have any of you seen the latest report on corruption in Latin America? I wish I could remember where I read it, the problems of getting old, but Colombia was rated as being less corrupt than most other Latin American nations. Of course when we talk of corruption we must not forget two of the most corrupt and hypocritical nations on our plantet: USA & UK. |
gringomedellin
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... corruption is a longterm issue in Colombia, the spike in numbers I take to be the people finally saying enough and reporting it. Until the poeple of the country start to pratice a simple princlple, It is their country-city -barrio, never let a corupt cop, terror group or para group to control it, coruption is here to stay in Colombia. |
American Living in Bogota
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... Colombia is a beautiful country with very polite people who are generally decent and hardworking. The problem I see is that most Colombians see corruption with a "that's just the way it is" attitude. I believe that if we have corrupt parents we will have corrupt future generations. It is up to the new generations with a clear vision of a prosperous country with equal and fair treatment of all citizens to change the corruption practices. Only by voting your conscience and reforming laws can people change corruption practices. As Robert F. Kennedy said: "Some men see things as they are, and say why? I see things that never were and say, why not?. My advice to all Colombians is: say no to corruption and speak-up" or your voice will never be heard. |
