Why is corruption so prominent in the contemporary Latin American political scene?

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Why is corruption so prominent in the contemporary Latin American political
scene?


Political corruption can be defined in many different ways but the most widely accepted definition of the term is the abuse of political power for personal gain in
a manner that could be deemed as unethical or unfair
  (1)


No country on earth is free from corruption, but the amount and impact it has varies
greatly. Traditionally corruption has occurred in poor countries, rates of corruption being much higher in developing countries compared with OECD countries. Latin America, with its many developing states has traditionally been seen as suffering from corruption on a large scale.
(2)

Corruption is deeply embedded in Latin American political structures although
it takes distinctive forms depending on each country's history and bureaucratic traditions, however Huntingdon identifies several factors present in most Latin American states that can be said to briefly explain why corruption prospers in Latin America “Corruption thrives on disorganisation, the absence of stable relationships among groups and of recognised patterns authority...corruption is most prevalent in states which lack effective political parties, in societies where the interests of the individual, the family, the clique or the clan predominate.”
(3)

Corruption has prospered in so many Latin American states due to the system
of government that exists in many of these countries. Kurt Weyland identifies
state intervention in the economy as being one of the core explanations for
corruption in Latin American.
(4) “The more the government is removed from the
economic marketplace - in most instances - the less opportunity and temptation
there is for corruption” argues Bernard Aronson but there is precious little evidence to show that any of Latin American government is prepared to step back, especially after the economic crisis recently experienced in Argentina.
(5) The government's role is essential in preserving corruption as it is government officials that determine what public resources are available and how they are distributed, which in itself gives huge scope for corruption. Business people are able to bribe government officials to gain financial and legal advantages from the government. This is especially relevant due to the problems that are currently going on in Latin America related to government's allowing companies to build upon or mine land which has traditionally belonged to the indigenous populations of Latin America. Allegations of corruption are rife in this matter, as courts overturn past victories of indigenous movements in favour of multi-national corporations. (6).

The resurgence of democracy in Latin America in the past two decades can also be identified as being a major factor in contributing to continuing corruption. Following the transition to a democratic government, the result has been to increase the number of actors in the political process which therefore increases the opportunity for corruption. Under the old authoritarian regimes it was possible to get what you wanted by bribing a member of the government; however democratisation and decentralisation of power has created a wider group of government officials all of whom may demand a share of the loot, thereby increasing corruption, “Under Brazil's military government contractors had to pay bureaucrats 8 to 12 percent of the value of a public works project to be awarded the deal. This percentage is said to have hit a record 40 to 50 percent under the short-lived Collor de Mello administration - the first president elected by a direct popular vote in 29 years.”
(7).

The weakness of many political parties in Latin America has also lead to corruption, "In a modernising polity, the weaker and less accepted the political parties, the greater the likelihood of corruption."
(8) Venezuela's two main established political parties are in a mess, Peru's long-dominant parties have lost ground to an amalgam of independent parties and in Argentina, the Peronist party which has dominated the country for almost half a decade has split into warring factions, while the country's economic crisis has weakened the reputation of their rivals.


Endemic corruption is also part of a broader and deeper problem of lack of rule of law "It is still very ingrained in the political and economic system and the bodies that should be watchdogs, such as the judiciary are often tainted by corruption themselves,"
(9) says Bernard Aronson. Most Latin American judiciaries are antiquated, incompetent and corrupt. The underlying cause of many of modern Argentina's problems is the state of its legal institutions, which have been neglected for decades. Argentina has often been ranked alongside the likes of China, Botswana and Colombia as one of the most corrupt countries in the world, a Global Competitiveness Report published four years ago saw Argentina listed as having one of the worst records for independence of the judiciary. (10)

The problem with modern Argentina's legal institutions can be directly traced to
its Peronist past, “I think it has to do with the country's dictatorial past, during which there was a total lack of security. This has made people realise that political impunity and the lack of security for civilians has to come to an end,” states Beinusz Szmukler, president of the American Lawyers' Association.
(11) 

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Before Argentina sunk into Peronism, judges of Argentina's Supreme Court enjoyed long terms in office, free from political interference or censure. Since the 1950s however, the average term for Supreme Court judges has decreased from on average 12 years to just 4 years, while who sits on the Supreme Court has increasingly been determined by Argentina's Presidents, often the government choosing cronies open to corruption, resulting in Argentina's Supreme Court, one time the firm protector of the rule of law being reduced to little more than a tool for the reigning government to use to further strengthen their position. ...

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