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Anti-corruption actions have swept Latin America, especially in recent months, with top officials probed or detained over regional behemoth enterprise Odebrecht's chain bribing.
Investigations have produced hundreds of charges, and the related dirty money ever flowing underground in Latin America was estimated at billions of U.S. dollars.
With officials questioned or captured one after another, countries in Latin America are taking efforts to establish better justice and equality.
TOP LEADERS TAINTED
Brazilian President Michel Temer was accused of corruption and obstruction of justice. This week he was widely asked to resign. He denied all accusations and refused to step down.
The depth of the investigation shows that the ongoing campaign has aimed for the top-notches, mirroring courage to weed out the roots of the continental scourge.
"Some cases have huge sway, related with top regional leaders and radiating all across Latin America. Like Odebrecht, its dirty deeds have caused such (political) losses to the region that we can't even estimate them in all," Marcos Fernandez, professor at Mexico's Monterrey Institute of Technology and High Education, told Xinhua.
Former Panama President Ricardo Martinelli is wanted in connection with Odebrecht, but now at large in Miami.
Odebrecht tainted three former presidents of Peru and a dozen officials in Colombia and Panama. In its home country Brazil, nearly 100 prominent businessmen and politicians have been convicted, while scores of sitting federal congressmen as well as one-third of President Temer's Cabinet are being investigated.
"Corruption turns global and stealthy, making us feel hard to figure out its scope and expense. In most cases, underground financial services are active to help laundry or transact money. You just can find no way to spot all their criminal details," added Fernandez.
BETTER JUSTICE AND EQUALITY EXPECTED
With fugitive former governors of Veracruz and Tamaulipas nailed down last month in Guatemala and Italy respectively, Mexico highlighted its determination to tighten the ruling party's discipline and systemize anti-graft laws and regulations.
Since July 2016, all government employees have been asked to report their assets, and auditing agencies become capable of censoring financial transactions in the states of Mexico.
"Mexico has been establishing its national anti-corruption system to coordinate investigation and punishment. The graft-beating agencies are trained to carry out laws and stipulations accurately, so that they can find legal support anytime necessary," said Fernandez.
Analysts and experts expect regional governments to establish better justice and equality by fighting corruption and adjusting their ruling systems.
"Corruption is a problem that is affecting us as a region -- not only in our region, because we also see that throughout the world. We have to rethink how we are behaving like society, like human," said Ines Tello, a judicial consultant in Peru.
"The legal frame needs to be fortressed. National anti-graft system, judicial independence, governance in accordance with law and more supervision by outside elements, especially news media, all combined, will surely be strong enough to ward off corruptors," said Fernandez.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
