Despite promises by the government, corruption in Colombia hasn’t
improved over the past years, says anti-corruption
work group Transparency International.
The organization, celebrating its tenth anniversary of its Colombian chapter, criticized the Uribe administration for not respecting the democratic institutions and trying to keep too much power to the executive branch, which, according to the organization, is hindering the fight against corruption, El Espectador reported.
“The fight against corruption in Colombia requires that these controls operate effectively and that the interaction between the main actors is transparent and guided by democratic rules,” President of Transparency International Huguette Labelle said Friday in Bogotá.
The organization’s report on corruption — received by vice-President Francisco Santos — places Colombia on #68 of the world’s most corrupt countries. The fight against corruption however is not considered very important. 72.2 percent of the Colombians say corruption is a problem, but only 2.9 percent says it is priority.