MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay tops Transparency International regional rankings

Criminal organizations exploit the region's weak institutions, the 2024 report found. Photo: Sebastián Astorga

With a score of 76 points, Uruguay topped Transparency International's latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for the Americas - 2024 issue - released earlier this week. Amid widespread regional declines, Uruguay outperformed Canada and Barbados thanks to robust democratic institutions, high transparency, strong citizen participation, and effective environmental governance. This achievement came during President Luis Lacalle Pou's last month in office. Starting March 1, he will be succeeded by Yamandú Orsi, of the opposition Broad Front (Frente Amplio - FA).

While Guatemala and the Dominican Republic show improvements, other countries such as Mexico, Paraguay, and Chile saw significant drops. At the bottom are Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, plagued by organized crime and human rights abuses.

Widespread corruption in the region hampers efforts to combat climate change and protect the environment. Criminal organizations exploit weak institutions for illegal logging, mining, and wildlife trafficking. Political and economic elites also manipulate environmental policies for personal gain, as seen in Peru.

Despite 25 Latin American countries committing to the Escazu Agreement, the region remains dangerous for environmental defenders, with recent murders in Honduras linked to businesspeople, politicians, and organized crime.

Argentina and El Salvador face increased restrictions on public information, and Guyana struggles with transparency and law enforcement, the report stated.

Weak judiciaries in Mexico and the United States limit effective enforcement. Mexico dropped five points due to inaction in major corruption cases, and the US faces criticism for its judicial branch despite a new ethics code.

“Latin America is going through a particularly difficult time in the fight against corruption, with diverse political, economic, and social impacts,” Transparency International's Regional Advisor for the Americas Luciana Torchiaro explained. “We have very few countries that improve significantly and unfortunately several countries that reach historic lows as is the case, for example, of Brazil or Chile,” she added.

The current situation is due to “the lack of strong measures against corruption for so many years” leading to “the weakening of democracy in the region” and “higher levels of impunity” with visible consequences, she also pointed out. “The region is going through a particularly difficult moment in the fight against corruption, with diverse political, economic, and social impacts,” she noted.