San Salvador, El Salvador
The United States Special Envoy for the North Central American Triangle, Ricardo Zúñiga, announced this Wednesday the donation of more than two million dollars to an anti-corruption commission of the Organization of American States (OAS) in El Salvador .
Zúñiga arrived in El Salvador on a four-day tour, which first took him to Guatemala and does not include Honduras, to address the causes of irregular migration.
“The Biden Administration has made it very clear that the fight against corruption is key in our support for Central American countries,” he said at a conference in which press inquiries were not allowed.
He added that “we want to support the Government of El Salvador in the process of breaking the cycle of corruption” and applauded the initiative of the Government of Nayib Bukele to allow the audit of the International Commission Against Impunity in El Salvador (Cicies) To the funds used to address the covid-19 pandemic.
Zúñiga also recognized social organizations committed to one Cicies “Independent.”
The Nayib Bukele Government and the OAS launched in early September 2019 the Cicies, Which would be responsible for conducting administrative investigations into cases of corruption in the 105 state entities.
Cicies commissioner Ronalth Ochaeta has noted that they have given 25 assists to the Prosecutor’s Office, including 12 “warnings of possible illicit corruption in five portfolios of the state.”
The announcement of financial support comes on the same day that Salvadoran President Bukele rejected the call for humanitarian organizations for the Legislative Assembly to pass a law granting Cicies independence from the Executive.
“Just by looking at these NGO logos that are behind this ‘proposal’ and seeing the ‘media’ that are publishing it, I am sure it would be the worst thing we could do,” the president posted in his account of Twitter.
He added that “they no longer insist, nothing approved by the outgoing @Assembly will ever come into force.”
On May 1, the new Legislative Assembly takes office, in which the officials New Ideas (NI) and the Grand Alliance for National Unity (GANA) add 61 of the 84 deputies, almost 73% of the seats.
WITHOUT CONFIRMING MEETING WITH BUKELE
The Salvadoran government and the U.S. embassy have not confirmed whether Zúñiga will meet with President Bukele or with executive officials.
At a press conference in Washington, U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price declined to clarify whether Zúñiga will meet with Bukele or any other member of the Salvadoran government.
“We have no party to inform him of, but if that changes we will be happy to do so,” Price simply said when asked by Efe.
The spokesman explained that, in “general terms”, Zúñiga is in Central America to talk about the problems that cause migration to the north, such as insecurity, lack of economic opportunities and corruption.
He acknowledged that “all” governments in the Northern Triangle, including the Salvadoran, have a “role” to play in improving conditions in these countries; but he recalled that part of Washington’s strategy is to collaborate with civil society and non-governmental organizations.
“We have a strong relationship with El Salvador and its people and continue to work closely with our Salvadoran allies to address the challenges in the region,” Price added.
Zúñiga’s full agenda in El Salvador is unknown, but he is expected to hold private meetings with social organizations and press representatives. EFE