Topic: Political Corruption in Latin America
Country: Peru
Delegate Name: Alex Vankuiken
School: Grand Rapids City High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Peru position papers GLIMUN 2018 committees
Political corruption in Latin American democracy has been known for some time, but the graft scandal known as Lava Jato, or “Car Wash,” one of the largest foreign bribery cases in history, has made it all the more imperative that something is done about it. Peru currently is in a unique position; having a government historically plagued by corruption, Peru’s newest president, Martin Vizcarra, has been pushing forth revolutionary anti-corruption legislation, including strict campaign finance laws, independent judicial selection, and creating a senate to balance the legislature. Principles that prevent graft obviously need to be included in any resolution on the issue, but Peru has experienced strong resistance in approving these initiatives. The difficulty with political corruption is that it often exists at all levels of government, and from current experience, Peru believes that the issues at hand need to be attacked at the source if a long-term solution is to come forth. The first issue that must be addressed is the lack of a transparent judiciary. It is well-known that organized crime permits corruption, but whenever one of these criminals is tried, due to frequent bribery of the judiciary, a never-ending cycle is created. When the gangs that sponsor the corruption are never sentenced, there can be no solution. Peru recommends an emphasis on a de-politicized monitoring of the courts to make sure proper sentencing is consistent. Trying to implement policies that merely address criminals and not the reason corruption continues through crime will only create violence and difficulty for law-abiding citizens. Peru also sees issues in the systems of election in government. Solving problems of corruption is difficult through large, established parties because many of these parties are already corrupt. The political establishment clearly needs to have stringent limitations on the finances accepted by corporations to prevent conflicts of interest, but bringing about the change that allows this to be implemented proves difficult. Peru recommends encouraging electoral systems that allow for smaller parties not associated with corporate interests a fair chance so as to upend stagnant politics that prevent reform, as well as ensuring that elections are unbiased through transparent bodies so the will of the people is properly represented. Lastly, Peru notes that the long-term cause of corruption in Latin America has been a traditional division between the working class and wealthy elites. Though there are ways to prevent and reduce the extent of corruption, the issue cannot be truly solved until the self-serving nature of the political order is banished. Because politics among Latin American countries tend to perpetuate themselves through graft, improved social mobility is needed to reduce the class distinctions which continue the tradition of corruption in high-level politics. This involves reducing income inequality and promoting greater economic health in Latin America, potentially through some level of UN advisement. Only when the people of these nations truly believe their government is representing their interests can political corruption be completely eradicated.
