Corruption is one of the main problems at the global, regional and local level.
Different studies, such as Transparency International's 2023 Corruption Perception Index, corroborate this.
The report that covers 180 countries prepares an index with a scale from zero (very corrupt) to 100 (very low corruption) and indicates that for 12 consecutive years, the global average of the CPI remains unchanged at 43 points, and more than two thirds of countries score less than 50.
It is also noted that the majority of countries achieved minimal or no progress, Argentina is ranked 98th among 180 countries with an index of 37 points and has fallen 4 places in the ranking since in 2022 it was in 94th. It is not a new phenomenon since in our own surveys 30 years ago corruption appeared as one of the central issues to be resolved.
The most transparent countries with the least corruption at a global level are Denmark, Finland, Norway, Singapore and Switzerland with scores above 80 out of 100. As for the Latin American countries, we see that Uruguay, Chile and Costa Rica have better scores (lower ) corruption indices than Argentina, with Venezuela being the worst of all at a regional and global level.
The Latinobarómetro, which covers all Latin American countries, includes this topic every year and we find that at the end of 2023, Argentina appears as the country in the entire region that least maintains that there was progress in the fight against corruption (13% ).
The suspicion of massive corruption is enormous.
Already in the 2020 report, when asked about which groups of people are involved in acts of corruption, between 6 and 7 out of 10 indicate that corruption exists among judges and magistrates, parliamentarians, government, officials and police and 52% among businessmen. .
Distrust comes from afar.
Corruption, in addition to being an ethical problem, is a huge obstacle to economic and social development, it is a threat to democracy and affects especially the poorest and most vulnerable.
The democratic system requires the independence of the three powers and this is vital to the fight against this scourge.
We need strong, solid institutions, clear rules and an independent Justice.
However, in the country since 1990, opinions are strongly critical when evaluating trust in institutions and especially those linked to the political system such as Congress, Justice and Political Parties (less than 25% in all cases).
If we make an international comparison we can see that in the world Parliaments are highly questioned but in most countries justice is trusted.
The latest survey by the World Values Survey in 90 countries shows Justice globally among the most trusted institutions with 56% credibility, while only 40% trust Parliament globally.
The regions where distrust is the majority are Latin America and Eastern Europe.
And this is one of the central problems that prevents us from progressing in our country.
Argentines consider Justice inefficient when it comes to solving problems and there is also a general perception of the existence of serious breaches of ethics within it.
Justice is perceived as distant from the population, to the point of not fulfilling its basic mission (being fair/equitable), either because it appears too linked to the political power in power or because it does not resolve disputes quickly and efficiently.
It is maintained that it is not the same for everyone, that it favors the rich and powerful more and that the judges are not independent of the Government, the lack of equality before the law, the lack of transparency and the ineffectiveness of its application are strongly questioned.
And that there is excessive slowness in the resolution of judicial cases.
The problems of Justice not only cover the judicial system and institutions but also include citizens.
Low levels of trust in Justice translate into a loss of legitimacy in the rules on the part of citizens.
A third of Argentines maintain that you should not always obey a judge if you think they are wrong and a recent national Voices survey in our country shows that the majority think that Argentines do not comply with social norms (60% vs. 30 % who maintain that they do and 10% do not know).
This tells us about a population with little adherence to the law, little respect for authority and compliance with the rules.
Remember Carlos Nino's book about a country outside the law.
The problem has been going on for a long time and we have not solved it yet.
Corruption is revealed as a problem intrinsically linked to distrust towards our political institutions, extending beyond the judicial sphere to include the political, business, union and police sectors, among others.
Each sector plays a key role within this systemic structure.
It constitutes a serious and prevalent challenge that we have not yet addressed or resolved with the necessary determination and efficiency.
Its resolution demands a comprehensive approach, requiring a firm commitment and constant collaboration over time.
This entails a transformation of the system and behaviors, where the political initiative and cooperation of the government, the involvement of the opposition, businessmen, judges, legislators, unions and civil society are essential.
Alongside these challenges, it is equally essential that all citizens comply with the law and regulations in their daily lives and demand answers, ensuring that this issue remains a priority on the public agenda.
It is key not to postpone this issue: today is the time to face it.
Marita Carballo is a sociologist. President of Voices!. Member of the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences