OPINION: Culture of Corruption

The revelations of the Odebrecht scandal, shared by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, shed light on the dark fabric of the Brazilian company. For Panamanians, this means that more bribes were paid in our country and emblematic works, such as the Panama Metro, served to bribe local authorities and those of other countries. Who are Aguia, Friend of Onca, Salary, Cachaça, Canario, Periquito or Yemanja, Cavaleiro or Stalin? Among these nicknames is the spearhead of the culture of corruption of the Panamanian political class. It is obvious that the Judicial Branch must grant the Public Prosecutor the extension of the investigation or, otherwise, we will lose the opportunity to see justice done. If it is verified that an executive of the company lied or hid information from prosecutors, the whole weight of the law must fall, without contemplations. The new government must take up the fight against corruption as a state policy, and it has to commit to the legal changes that put the country in step with the challenge of the Odebrecht case. Failing to do so is equivalent to maintaining the mechanisms that made this robbery possible.- LA PRENSA, June28