This was announced by Ricardo Zúñiga, who said that the government of Joe Biden is “proud” to support this struggle in El Salvador.
Beyond rhetoric and constantly identifying the fight against corruption as its priority, the United States has allocated more resources to this battle against the abuse of public resources.
On Wednesday, Joe Biden’s special envoy to the Northern Triangle, Ricardo Zúñiga, announced that the United States will allocate $ 2 million for the International Commission Against Impunity in El Salvador (CICIES).
“The United States is proud to support the work of the CICIES and the Prosecutor’s Office, and is making a donation of more than $ 2 million. This is part of our commitment. The United States is accompanying them in this struggle,” Zúñiga said.
Keep reading: Envoy from Biden to the Northern Triangle is meeting with the Attorney General and the head of the CICIES in El Salvador
This contribution is part of the United States’ commitment to strengthen the Salvadoran institutional framework in charge of combating the misuse of public resources or the diversion of these to “selfish” interests, the diplomat explained.
Attorney General Raúl Melara thanked the United States for their support of the CICIES. Photo: EDH / Yessica Hompanera
In addition, Zúñiga mentioned that one of the lessons the United States learned from the anti-impunity commissions in Guatemala (the CICIG) and Honduras (the Mission to Support the Fight against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras, MACCIH) is that in order to function it must collaborate strongly with the Public Prosecutor’s Office and have the support of the country’s political class.
In Honduras and Guatemala, commissions died from the stingy support of governments or even the determined blockade of political and business elites who were threatened by the fight against corruption.
Therefore, in El Salvador, in addition to financial autonomy, sectors of civil society are demanding that the CICIES be given more independence from the Executive by approving its framework agreement in the Legislative Assembly, as well as equipping it with more “teeth,” such as the ability to sue in corruption cases.
This was one of the points in favor of the commission in Guatemala, which joined forces with the local Public Prosecutor’s Office to unravel a network of customs fraud led by then-President Otto Pérez.
Attorney General Raul Melara thanked U.S. support for the CICIES and said the role the U.S. country is playing in fighting corruption is crucial.
He also expressed satisfaction with the joint work with the commission. “This effort and commitment that the United States Government is taking today to strengthen the CICIES is important because indirectly it will allow us to prosecute the prosecution,” said Raul Melara.
Ochaeta added that he has sent the Public Prosecutor’s Office 12 warnings of possible wrongdoing in 5 portfolios of the State, although he did not detail the cases or the institutions.
Attorney General Raúl Melara, who also attended this bilateral meeting, said that “it is essential that the rulers and the entire political class commit themselves to giving the tools to fight corruption and impunity.”
Also: Envoy of Joe Biden reiterates to Guatemala that it is US priority. UU. Strengthen democracy in the Northern Triangle
This meeting of Zúñiga in El Salvador is given at the end of a two-day visit to Guatemala, where he met with President Alejandro Giammattei and numerous members of the Cabinet. Here, he stressed that the rule of law and democratic governance are central axes of Joe Biden’s policy in the region.