Transparency International regrets that the law on access to public information and other transparency tools were put in the freezer during the first phase of the pandemic.
Transparency International (TI) diagnosis for El Salvador is not encouraging. In its most recent Global Corruption Index, this institution reports significant setbacks in the country in this area.
On the one hand, it confirms that the “alarming concentration of power in the executive branch” led to an “explosion of irregularities and corruption cases related to COVID-19 attention” in El Salvador.
It also points out that citizens across the region, including El Salvador, have faced obstacles when trying to access reliable and up-to-date information on health statistics and pandemic care.
In general terms, TI confirms that a major challenge for the region is to ensure that emergency funds to alleviate the crisis are not wasted through corruption and reach the beneficiaries. “Failure to provide this assistance risks creating social unrest, fuels harmful populism and creates more poverty and inequality,” he added.
You could read: El Salvador failed the 2020 Corruption Perception Index
In the specific case of El Salvador, it indicates that compared to previous years, when transparency and the fight against corruption have already stagnated, “The setback” in 2020 was “much more serious”.
On the one hand they call “enigmatic” irregularities. Among them, the overpriced purchase of nearly $ 12 million medical supplies from a company dedicated to auto repairs in Spain. It also highlights that the country has not established clear criteria for conducting money transfers.
In fact, the Court said in May 2020 that the government was giving out $ 30 million to 100,000 people with unclear criteria.
Finally, Transparency International regrets that the law on access to public information and other transparency tools were put in the freezer during the first phase of the pandemic.