The Transparency International (TI) report
is a mirror
of the hundreds of pressures from the Frente de Todos government on judges and prosecutors to try to improve the judicial situation of Cristina Kirchner and
a warning for the management of President Javier Milei.
Not since 1983 has a democratic government
attempted to overturn the Court
, change the chief prosecutor, advance the retirements of federal judges and systematically attack and insult the magistrates.
These are more than a hundred laws, draft laws, administrative decisions and public attacks.
The two public letters from the former vice president that she sent to then-president Alberto Fernández to take action against the judges are eloquent.
And, also, the consequence of it: the resignation of Alberto's moderate Minister of Justice, Marcela Losardo, and her replacement by the ultra K Martín Soria in March 2021.
But also the report, which warns that the lack of independence of Justice and the pressures on it
are one of the causes of the persistence of corruption
, which opens a debate within the government of President Javier Milei.
The new head of the Anti-Corruption Office, Alejandro Melik, denied last week in an interview with
Clarín
that there is an impunity pact with Cristina Kirchner.
He said that he will sue in cases of corruption if Congress maintains that power for that body and that it investigates cases of conflict of interest in the Milei government.
Melik said he is concerned about this index that will call for consultations with Poder Ciudadano and other NGOs concerned about the fight against corruption.
The first evaluation of Javier Milei's government
will be known in January of next year
and it will be seen if the Government takes this notice and establishes the necessary measures to stop the worsening of the perception of corruption in Argentina.
This edition of the CPI for the Latin American region reveals that the judiciary in the Americas
does not fulfill its crucial role as a check on other branches of government.
The lack of judicial independence undermines the rule of law, promotes corruption and leads to impunity for the corrupt and powerful, the report stated.
With the region's average score remaining at 43 and two-thirds of countries below 50, "it is imperative to address this issue for the effective fight against corruption," said Poder Ciudadano.
In turn, Luciana Torchiaro, Regional Advisor for the Americas of Transparency International, contributed to the analysis of this data: "Countries in the region should work to have strong and independent judicial powers that provide accountability and justice." “Not doing so
erodes "the very foundations of democracy and the rule of law
. The continued weakening of checks and balances will only foster impunity, both for powerful and corrupt groups, to the detriment of the general public and collective well-being," Torchiaro added. .
According to this index, Canada (76) and Uruguay (73) are at the top of the regional ranking with more robust controls and balances of Justice on governments.
In contrast, Venezuela (13), Haiti (17) and Nicaragua (17) have the lowest scores in the region, with widespread impunity and lack of independence of the judiciary.
The report highlights that only two countries, Guyana (40) and the Dominican Republic (35), “have improved their CPI scores over the last decade, while the others have stagnated or regressed significantly.”
The widespread feeling of impunity and the inability of prosecutors and judges to act impartially - guaranteeing fair trials and equality before the law - "significantly erode confidence in the judiciary in the Americas," adds the Transparency report.
This perception often
"discourages the filing of complaints
," the NGO warned.
Finally, TI called on governments to give justice systems the independence, resources and transparency necessary to effectively punish all corruption crimes and put institutional checks on power.
The clock for Milei keeps ticking and just announcing a new anti-corruption prosecutor's office is not enough.