ABSTRACT

This book investigates the history, development, and current state of anti-corruption agencies in Latin America.

In recent decades, specialized anti-corruption agencies have sprung up as countries seek to respond to corruption and to counter administrative and political challenges. However, the characteristics, resources, power, and performance of these agencies reflect the political and economic environment in which they operate. This book draws on a range of case studies from across Latin America, considering both national anti-corruption bodies and agencies created and administered by, or in close coordination with, international organizations. Together, these stories demonstrate the importance of the political will of reformers, the private interests of key actors, the organizational space of other agencies, the position of advocacy groups, and the level of support from the public at large.

This book will be a key resource for researchers across political science, corruption studies, development, and Latin American Studies. It will also be a valuable guide for policy makers and professionals in NGOs and international organizations working on anti-corruption advocacy and policy advice.

part I|175 pages

National commissions, agencies, and systems

chapter 1|13 pages

Introduction

Locating anti-corruption agencies within the politics of anti-corruption in Latin America

chapter 2|17 pages

Anti-Corruption Whack-a-Mole

Costa Rica's de-centralized agencies and increasingly sophisticated corruption

chapter 3|18 pages

Combating corruption in Chile

The Presidential Advisory Commissions on public probity, 1994–2015

chapter 4|20 pages

Promise, invisibility, politicization

The waving path of the anti-corruption office in Argentina 1

chapter 5|21 pages

The politics of building anti-corruption institutions

The case of anti-corruption agencies in Peru

chapter 6|16 pages

The anti-corruption agency and its policy role in Colombia

Improvement in institutional capacity or political symbolism?

chapter 7|26 pages

Corruption control under fire

A brief history of Brazil's office of the comptroller general

chapter 9|21 pages

Dealing with the “original contradiction” in fighting corruption in countries with systemic corruption

A critique of the cases of Brazil and Mexico and their multiorganizational strategies

part II|120 pages

International missions and commissions

chapter 10|22 pages

Unprecedented success and entrenched opposition

The complicated legacy of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala

chapter 13|16 pages

The role of the United Nations and the Organization of American States in delegation of governance agreements

The case of hybrid anti-corruption agencies in Central America

chapter 15|24 pages

Empty promises to fighting corruption in Ecuador

The failure of the International Experts Commission against Corruption in Ecuador (CEICCE)

chapter 16|7 pages

Conclusion

The Anti-Corruption Agency Space in Latin America