Hopes Pinned on Anti-Corruption Measures Approved by Mexican Congress The Washington Post
go to original April 27, 2015

Mexico: New Anti-Corruption Law Too Little, Too Late, Activists Say (teleSUR English)

One day, it's police and soldiers killing civilians. The next, top government officials lapping up perks of wealth and power.

In response to months of scandals and public outcry, the administration of President Enrique Peña Nieto has endorsed anti-corruption measures that many hope will begin to rebuild Mexicans' trust in their government.

Peña Nieto's popularity has fallen in the past year as public crises have rocked his government and contributed to an impression that Mexico is becoming an increasingly consequence-free zone for political corruption.

The anti-corruption system passed this week by Mexico's Congress, which must be approved by the majority of the states, is designed to give more authority and independence to investigative bodies. Audits of government spending will be able to occur more frequently and at the state level. The appointment of the head of the Public Administration Ministry will have to be approved by Congress.

“Unfortunately, the economy in our country is built on links and relations between men of power,” said Graco Ramirez, governor of the state of Morelos. “And this relationship has to be revised, so we have real rules of the market and so regulators can function.”

Supporters of the program consider it significant because it puts more emphasis on state spending, which has been less scrutinized than that of the federal government. There's still plenty of skepticism about whether the changes on paper will translate into investigations and prosecutions of top officials.

“This is not a panacea to change corruption. But it touches on something that is very important,” said Viridiana Rios, the founder of Mexico Como Vamos, a think tank. “It's a beginning of a change of the discourse in this country.”

Read the rest at Triblive.com

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