In South America, corruption has provided a long shadow over governance that has slowly eroded public trust and brought state institutions to their knees. The continent is wracked by high-profile scandals — from Brazil to Peru — provoking outrage and calls for reforms. But with all the headlines and promises of change, the war against corruption remains an uphill, infuriating — and, at times, heart-rending — struggle.
As the continent’s largest nation, Brazil has had some of the most sweeping corruption cases of recent times. The notorious “Car Wash” investigation, or Lava Jato, as it’s known locally, revealed a complex web of graft involving the highest levels of politics, corporate elites and the state-controlled oil giant Petrobras. Once celebrated as a potentially game-changing moment for accountability, the operation’s momentum has waned over time. Its achievements have been sullied by accusations of judicial overreach and political bias, and left Brazilians to question whether the systemic change they once imagined is still achievable.
In Peru, corruption is less an anomaly than a lasting reality. Every single Peruvian president since 1985 has been accused of corruption, and several have served time behind bars. The suicide of the former president Alan García during a bribery investigation involving the Brazilian construction conglomerate Odebrecht is a sign of the extent of the problem. Yet systemic corruption has barred any sense of meaningful progress, amid sweeping promises of reform from one administration to the next, and many Peruvians are cynical about whether things will get better.
Argentina has its own version of this troubling story. Cristina Fernández de Kirchner has been accused of several corruption crimes over the years — from embezzlement to illicit enrichment. She has continued to be a polarizing figure, embraced by her backers but excoriated by her opponents. Her legal problems underscore the challenge of making powerful leaders accountable in a region where judicial processes are often caught up in political interests.
What connects these countries — and others in the region — is the rising anger of ordinary people. Corruption steals money from the public purse but, more than that, it erodes the fabric of society. The consequences can be seen in delayed or botched infrastructure projects, decaying public services and a continuing erosion of trust in the government institutions. People feel this failure in tangible ways: in the potholes they drive over, the inadequate health care they depend on, and the underfunded schools their children attend.
But amid this despair, there are flickers of resilience. Civil society has been and continues to be a crucial player in the battle for transparency and accountability. And the mid-2010s mass protests in Brazil brought forth action on Lava Jato revelations; the grassroots campaigns that succeeded in removing a sitting president in Guatemala show what collective outrage can achieve.
But the challenges are daunting. Political will falls short, investigations get blocked and whistle-blowers face extreme retaliation. Victory over corruption could come only through structural reforms, not punitive measures. We need to rework electoral systems, public contracting processes and oversight mechanisms to close the loopholes that are enabling corruption to thrive.
In South America, the battle against corruption is one of thwarted ambitions and dogged determination. The scandals that dominate the headlines expose what’s at stake, but they also demonstrate the will of citizens and activists who defy the status quo. However slow the progress, the call for integrity is getting louder on all fronts—this is a baby step towards a future where governance will be for the many, not the few.
