Transparency  International slams backsliding corruption fight

On the eve of The Summit of the Americas, in Los Angeles, the chapters of the American region of Transparency International ask the governments to make a firm commitment to address the corruption crisis, the democratic backsliding, and the erosion of human rights.

“Corruption fuels poverty, and inequality and inhibits our ability to tackle our toughest challenges, from pandemics to climate change. To build a sustainable, resilient, and equitable future, we must take strong action against corruption and open space for civil society and people to hold those in power accountable.

The organizations that are part of Transparency International on the continent recall that at the last Summit of the Americas (Lima, 2018) the leaders of the continent admitted that the fight against corruption is important to strengthen democracy and the rule of law and that in In this sense, little progress has been observed.

It is emphasized that there is a deterioration in the efforts to combat corruption, the increase in authoritarianism, and the loss of fundamental rights and freedoms such as freedom of expression, press,  and association, and the right to access information.

“In many countries, the Executive power has concentrated power, weakening the systems of checks and balances and making it very difficult for control bodies to exercise and demand accountability,” the letter highlights.