Transparency International regrets that the Law on Access to Public Information, as well as other transparency tools, were put in the freezer during the first stage of the pandemic.
The diagnosis of Transparency International (IT) for El Salvador is not encouraging. In its most recent Global Corruption Index, this institution reports significant country setbacks in the matter.
On the one hand, he states that the “alarming concentration of power in the executive branch” led to an “explosion of irregularities and cases of corruption associated with care for COVID-19” in El Salvador.
He also points out that throughout the region, including El Salvador, citizens have faced obstacles in wanting to access reliable and up-to-date information on health statistics and pandemic care.
Broadly speaking, IT states that a major challenge facing the region is to ensure that emergency funds to alleviate the crisis are not lost in corruption and reach the beneficiaries. “Failure to bring this aid poses the risk of social discontent, feeds harmful populism and creates more poverty and inequality,” he adds.
You could read: El Salvador disapproved in 2020 corruption perception index
In the particular case of El Salvador, he points out that in relation to previous years, which already raised stagnation in transparency and the fight against corruption, “The setback” in 2020 was “much more serious.”
On the one hand, they cite “baffling” irregularities. Among them, the overpriced purchase of medical equipment for almost $ 12 million from a company engaged in automotive repairs in Spain. He also points out that the country has not established clear criteria for delivering cash transfers.
In fact, the Court of Auditors said in May 2020 that the Government distributed $ 30 million to 100,000 people with unclear criteria.
Finally, Transparency International regrets that the Law on Access to Public Information, as well as other transparency tools, were put in the freezer during the first stage of the pandemic.