Corruption In Latin America The Case Of Ecuador Politics Essay

Corruption In Latin America The Case Of Ecuador Politics EssayAs quality of an activity in the argona of studies in Latin America, the purpose of this essay is to analyze Corruption as one of todays approximately marked problematic in government, merely much specific the paper will focus in discuss the reasons and consequences of depravation and its manifestation in Ecuador.The backg band of the regions internal politics, neighboring countries analogous Bolivia and Venezuela and its influence over national politics, and the positive events which direct determined the situation Ecuador is facing nowadays during the development of the essay few of these variants will be explained.In this essay, effects of legality and legitimacy will be addressed towards turpitude, and how the failure of one of them, lead to larger possibilities of corruption. It will be also explained the reason corruption causes poverty and creates barriers to overcome this problem and the explanation of h ow corruption affects more to the poor people due to their fewer options to deal with its consequences. It has also shown the negative impact on programs for the eradication of poverty, making them ineffective.Another trend of corruption addressed in this paper is the tendency to the misallocation of resources and the resulting stagnation of economic development.Some of the primordial factors related to corruption participation, questioning the authority and the observation of law citizens have towards their governing bodys, have being reflected it variables like the income per capita, percentage of poverty, lack of opportunities for education and health cargon, all of them negative agree with Corruption.Corruption not only violates the economic and affectionate rights but also violates civil and political rights, distorting or invalidating the political processes and institutions, weakening the role of the workbench and law enforcement officials.Latin America, a continent full of contrast, determined by a wide variety of climates and natural resources, it also occupies the status as having some of the most corrupted countries in the world. The main issues drawn into this problematic derived from the dilemma of Legality and Legitimacy the first one is outlined as situations accepted by the establish law, while legitimacy consists in the credibility of this law. For many decades Latin American presidents have faced coups and judicial proceedings for corruption crusades, Pinochet and Fujimori are trenchant examples. These violations to democracy and citizen rights have resulted in the lack of credibility in the governors and government institutions by the commonwealth.Corruption has had greater impact in the macroeconomic variables, reducing the opportunities to be part of an important international trade and scaring away any forms of foreign investment.Latin Americas institutions are viewed as obsoletes, and due to the mellow corruption cosmos officia ls are involved into, the inexistence of governmental institutions provide more chances for all types of corruption, among others, cronyism and embezzlement.Another important factor inducing to corruption in the Latin states is the lack of vertical nebability, which is the standards citizen moldiness have for their political leaders and the punishment they should received, if doing something wrong.Despite many Latin nations counts with a system of elective representatives, the empowerment giving for decision makings to individuals and institutions exert a disproportionate influence in national politics, state and local levels through corruptionThis creates loss of creation confidence in the institutions of democracy, losing their legitimacy among their citizens. Some of the most common examples of corruption are related to taxation, distribution of humans resources and trade regulations.It is important to mention not all the countries posses the same grade of corruption, for ins tance boater and Peru have shown a rapid growth (except in 2008-2009), Brazil, Mexico Colombia and Chile have grown into political maturity and a certain economic prosperity further countries like Honduras, Venezuela, Paraguay and Ecuador have gone backwards, sustaining political asymmetry, the rising of poverty and new opposition parties.In general terms corruption is a phenomenon which many elected nations face around the globe, its best defined as political corruption involves the abuse of public power for some confidential benefit (Canache et al, 2005). In the case chosen for this paper, Ecuador, a country in Latin America with a population of 14 million of people is consider according to the Corruption percept Index (CPI) 2009 as the fourth most corrupt country in Latin America after Haiti, Venezuela and Paraguay respectively. To understand Ecuador todays situation, it is crucial to stress some key facts in the countrys political system. Since the 90s was marked by The Con federation of Ecuadorian Indigenous Nationalities (CONAIE) consider as of Latin Americas most active autochthonic movement, who despite the efforts was unable to reach a vigorous participation in the political system. During the years to come (1997-2005) Ecuador counted with five unlike presidents, Abdala Bucaram, Fabian Alarcon, Jamil Mahuad, Gustavo Nova and Lucio Gutierrez, three of them elected by popular vote and then forced to leave office by coup dtat Some of the causes were the severe Ecuadorian monetary crisis in 1999 by the falling of international oil and the latest one caused by popular revolts known as rebelin de los forajidos leader by Rafael Correa.Ecuador actual formal president Correa ran for presidency in 2006 with MPAIS as his electoral movement, competing against the PRIAN and PSP two of the most powerful parties in the country. His strategic formula to win the spot was defined by anti neoliberals formulas, promising a political reform, rede sign-language(a) th e governmental institutions and placed the state as the main actor in regulating the national economy.Correa, characterized by left turn ideology, played his first card by calling to a plebiscite to support his idea of a new constituent agenda annexed to the origin of a new constitution, winning by 82% yes vote the triumph was indubitable in double sense, not only he placed 80 of the 130 seats with his viewers (MPAIS) in the constituent assembly, but he appeal for the public opinion as a democrat, taking peoples voice into account and increasing public content on his government.Due to the new constitution elections were call again in 2009, this term Correa won in the first round with an overwhelming 51,69% of approval. Despite his triumph during the last year his popularity has dropped from an initial 73% to 52% Correa Falling in the polls was due, among other things, the scandal sparked by millionaires public contracts awarded to Fabricio Correa, brother of the president.This Abu se of public power for private gain is consider as one of the most popular form of corruption, which results into a mistrust of the population in the government and its institut ions. According to Huguette Labelle, Chair of Transparency International when basic institutions are weak and nonexistent, corruption spirals out of control and the increased looting of public resources, enhance the insecurity and impunity.19992000200120022003200420052006200720082009Country Rank82747989113112117138150151146CPI Score2,42,62,32,22,22,42,52,32,12,02,2The above graphic shows the Corruption perception Index during the past 10 years in Ecuador, the score maintains a similar range, but more surprising regardless of the many dissimilar presidents Ecuador has counted with, and the different policies applied, they seem to be trapped in the same problem CorruptionWhen Correa took office he argued to be part of todays new wage of left-wing president, with domestic and foreign policies to be consumee d according to the 21st ampere-second socialism. Although he increased social expenditure by rising salary wages and concession credits to small businesses, they were likely to be short term concessions, per suiting a permanent campaign and keeping opposite parties under control. Part of Correas government initial trend was retuning the exploitation of natural resources done by foreign multinationals to the Ecuadorians, instead in practice, he signed contracts with outsider companies for the exploitation of strategic tap and energy resources, the real question here is what was under this rare contradiction, or perhaps is a form of clientelism?In this process, Indian communities accompaniment and working the charges signed to the mineral multinational complained, but Correa dismissed the movements, replacing and rejecting claims in other words, his new socialism proved to have a lack any social structural changes, but more into what he opposed or not. Some other initiatives took by Correa and his government, relying in the countrys development strategy, was granting telecommunication monopolies to private firms, an opposition to land reforms by attacking the agro-commercial class (located mainly in Guayaquil) and a subsidy with clear support to the capitalist class.Some responses by the people have resulted in protests, and a consider drop in the polls.One cannot assume the surplus of money for private benefits in Correas government, but the lack of transparency in the actions make with the public budgets prove the non existence control by Ecuador legislature, an ineffective judiciary, as well as non independent oversight bodys institutions and a weak implementation of the law.In the International Arena, the situation of Ecuador has followed two paths the most visible influence by other states in Ecuadors government orientation is the clear support from other leftist presidents, as it is the Case of Venezuela with Hugo Chavez, and Bolivia with Evo Morales. The alignment for new plans of cooperation within the nations and the ideas of imperialism by remain in power, adds more reasons to believe the impunity of corruption Ecuador posses.The idea of refusing to pay the external debt by Correa, stressing an illegitimate foreign debt, contracted by past corrupt governments was conceive by the World Bank as a way to mislead public budgets into actions leaded for private gains, and although Correa did not take the risk, the hinders for development and the investment in the country has maintain a low range due to the apparent instability of EcuadorThe opposition by renewing the U.S. military base in Manta expired in 2009, the resistance of signing a FTA with U.S., and the diplomatic crisis handle with Colombia in 2008, have been some of the events which placed the country resistant against globalization, and rumors of ties with the terrorist group FARC with president Correa have damage the states image considerably.Some other scandals have in cluded the spenditure of more than US$ 4 billion in subsidizing sectors which do not require, like petroleum products and the electrical sector, consuming over 80% of total subsidies the benefits seem to be directed to the elite classes, leaving behind the thousands of people living in poverty conditions.When corruption is spread in a country variedly segments are involved, but the most affectedPart of the population is the poor due to their incapability to absorb the costs, and this is exactly the consequences of corruption in Ecuador, where the percentages of poverty have raised dramatically over the past years. Corruption has undermined the people in many ways, traducing in inequality, remote access to health and education, and therefore the illiteracy of the population. One of the main consequences is a conversion to a society very tolerant with corruption, perpetuating a vicious cycle ending again in more corruption.Nowadays Ecuadors domestic politics is highly oppressed by Cor reas government, leaving narrow participation for the opposition parties PRIAN and PSP, and almost no room for the rising of new parties. Also in encounters coercion to Indigenous movements, dismissing any kind of ideas nonaligned with Correas conceptions.President Rafael Correa admitted this year that there is widespread corruption in the society of his country and announced his government is preparing a national campaign to fight against corruption. Correa stated corruption has not yet reached the levels of the upper government, it has taken not only the public sector but the private sector as well. Actually there is a campaign which evolves the entire population, acknowledging the population they must denunciate anyone who enriches with public money, and avoid paying taxes is a form of take to the state, and therefore is a form of corruption. Among other strategies the campaign promulgates to claim any information regarding to politicians visiting them with special offers. Corr uption is negative related to the countrys performance in terms of GDP, international trade, foreign investment, economic diversity and wealth (Volkema, 2001) meaning corruption will have to be taken seriously by the government, the strategies implement must focus on addressing the real causes of corruption in order to balance Ecuador to a more prosperous and equal country.PERSONAL OPINION AND closing RECOMMENDATIONSAs stated in the preamble to the United Nations Convention against corruption, the scourge poses a serious threat to stability and security of societies, undermining the institutions and values of democracy, ethics and umpire and jeopardizing sustainable development and the rule of law in my opinion this phase can be linked to Ecuador actual situation, where no real institutions exist for argue populations rights, and the coercion of opinion from other movements and a constituent assembly who obeys to Correas mandates encloses the country with clear and pure examples of corruption.Ecuador is a country with its majority are indigenous living to merely filling some of their needs, leaving aside the idea of attending to schools and very weak health system, consequently they do not bother to very claim for a more transparency government. Although is it true many protests are done in Ecuadorian lands, they seem not be effecting with lowering corruption, in my opinion the country must concentrate in creating proper institutions in order to audit this process, but society itself must engage into one voice, proclaiming their rights and release the toleration of corruption.It is wicked to say elections should be call again and chose another candidate from a more capitalist party, and one of the main reasons is that history have shown despite the wing a president comes, corruption still persists, so even mayor changes should be done. One of my recommendations is the creation of programs that develop the economy of the poorest ones, and establish in hypo thesis made Davis and Ruhe (pag 6) countries with a high per capita income and upper foreign investment are perceived as less corrupted. At the same time this part of the population will have more opportunities for education, and the generations to come will be more aware of how deep corruption hurts a country.I do not criticize the new leftist in their in basis or proclamations, but I contentedly oppose the way the ideas from the 21st century socialism its being applied, contemplating a more equal distribution, but in reality the only beneficiaries are the ones who receive mayor contracts for being brother of the high commanders, or the elite people who keeps the subsidies supposed to be for helping the real needs of one economy, and neither the suppression of voice, which is why after studying the different variables in Ecuadors corruption I finish this paper by pointing Mahadma Ghandis quote Corruption and hypocrisy ought not to be inevitable products of democracy, as they undoub tedly are today.