The Pot of Gold Coins

El Líbero, November 17, 2023

Regardless of the nature of the illegal business, it always requires some official or state agent to turn a blind eye or inform about controls and inspections.

More than two years ago, we were surprised by the San Ramón case. A former mayor in preventive detention for links to drug trafficking. We hoped it would be an opportunity and that corruption would be pursued firmly to prevent the weakening of the state and its institutions. Unfortunately, that did not happen, and today, a recording of over an hour demonstrates how much this scourge has advanced within the state.

San Ramón was the tip of the iceberg, and what a large block of ice was submerged! The leaked conversation published in various media shows how deep the problem is. Private individuals negotiating payments with officials from institutions such as the Internal Revenue Service and the Financial Market Commission highlights, on one hand, institutional weakness and, on the other, the little respect some Chileans have for the rule of law.

Boasting about having belonged to a clandestine group of a governing party does not help either, especially in a context where another governing party is embroiled in corruption issues.

No wonder indicators measuring democracy and transparency were alerting us that something was happening. The changes in the democracy index published by The Economist and an unchanged corruption perception index since 2017 should have raised alarms; moreover, the government should have considered this matter a priority in its program. They won a second electoral round with promises to combat organized crime. Well, if the door to corruption is not closed, it will be very difficult, and the efforts of the National Prosecutor will find an uphill path.

Corruption is a door that, once opened, brings a tornado that can uproot it and contribute to the advancement of a threat that surprised us over the weekend with extortion kidnappings and homicides.

By definition, organized crime needs the state to carry out its criminal activities. Regardless of the nature of the illegal business, it always requires some official or state agent to turn a blind eye or inform about controls and inspections. If we thought we were far from this in Chile, the audio of the prominent lawyer suggests otherwise.

The President, his ministers, undersecretaries, and all current authorities must condemn all reported acts of corruption with the same severity. It does not matter who it concerns or the relationship with them. Their duty is to uphold the rule of law, the strength of institutions, and democracy. All are extremely necessary in the fight against our main threat: organized crime.

This has been able to advance in countries such as Mexico, Colombia, or Brazil thanks to the corruption that exists in them. Security problems are the hallmark of its advance and the way it expresses itself. As long as there is corruption, there will be opportunity, and undoubtedly, some of the various criminal groups will seize it. The time has come to show firmness and stand on the side of Chile.

Pilar Lizana
Researcher, AthenaLab

Source: El Líbero