OPINION: Sending a corruption message

The bill that reviews the statute of limitations on corruption offenses is awaiting the National Assembly give the process life after President Juan Carlos Varela vetoed it. The Government Commission has had the project shelved for almost two months and for its president, Rubén De Leon, this does not seem to be a priority.

It is unforgivable that at this stage of the legislative period the discussion is not on the priority agenda of the Assembly, whose members seem to be more concerned about their respective political campaigns that to fulfill the work for which they were elected in 2014. The country needs strong legal tools that allow both prosecutors and judges to process and prosecute those who commit serious crimes against public property. Maybe if the deputies understood that the best message they can send to their constituents is to demonstrate that with the approval of initiatives like this – and not with demagogic speeches – they assume a frontal commitment against corruption. Only in this way, and not with campaigns financed with public funds that try to improve their image, would they start to recover the trust they have lost. … LA PRENSA, Sep 12