In a report on the Corruption Perception Index, Transparency International expressed concern in the way prosecutors were elected
A report by Transparency International (TI) on the Corruption Perception Index (IPC) placed Honduras as the second worst-evaluated country in Central America; only behind Nicaragua.
According to the report, Honduras maintains the average of 23 points for the third consecutive year with an emphasis on corruption and the deterioration of the justice system. Regarding the situation of nationhood, Transparency International noted that there has been a weakening of controls and balances, a growth in the influence of the executive branch on the legislature and attacks on the press.
They also referred to the process of electing the Attorney General and Acting Deputy Prosecutor, who was called illegal.
The Attorney General of the State of Honduras and Deputy Prosecutor were elected by Parliament without any transparency and illegal, they established.
Another observation related to the influence of the executive branch on other branches of the State, allusioning that there is no independence.
Honduras has also faced a significant weakening of the system of institutional weights and counterweights. The increasing capture of Congress by the executive branch has allowed the appointment of the Attorney General by the Legislative without any transparency and illegality.
The report points out that Honduras is evating increasingly frequent attacks against the press and grassroots organizations that hold power accountable, thus consolidating the authoritarian trend in North Central America.
In 2023 Honduras managed to place itself in 154th place, varying just four steps in the rankings after being stagnant in 157th place for three consecutive years.
In this edition, the CPI ranks 180 countries, the most transparent (in position 1) at least transparent (in position 180).
Reaction
In this regard, the Minister of the Presidency, Rodolfo Pastor, said that the report has political bias.
Honduras has been immersed in chronic corruption. Who and how is that report prepared? Structural steps have been taken to combat corruption. Who is ASJ and who is Transparency International? They have their biases and political prejudices, he said.
Without removing the finger from the line, he said that these organizations are representatives of interests. The best moment of the reports they detected in terms of perception was in 2015 and I don’t know if they remember, just in 2015 was when the Social Security plunder was committed, but Transparency International and ASJ gave that regime the best rating.
However, Libre’s deputy, Jorge Cálix, went in the opposite direction and recalled that in past governments they did give credibility to these reports within his party.
In the past we endorsed it and now we can’t disqualify it because we don’t like its outcome. The actions that have been taken in the National Congress have significantly influenced Honduras to remain stagnant in the fight against, he said.
This article has been translated from the original which first appeared in El Heraldo