Introduction

Since the late 1980s, corruption has become a key issue in the Latin American political landscape. The number of presidents, ministers, members of the parliaments and mayors accused of corruption and forced to resign in Latin America has dramatically increased over the years. Amidst this sad scenario, the case of Chile represents an encouraging exception. Over the last 25 years, several international institutions indicate Chile as the country with the highest level of public probity in Latin America, and as one of the 25 countries with the highest standards in the world. Strangely enough, the question of why Chile has managed to possess and maintain relatively low levels of corruption had remained practically unexplored until today. This study aims to provide a comprehensive response to that question. This Introduction presents the main arguments put forward by the author to elucidate the existence of public probity in Chile, which are explored in detail in the following chapters. The main thesis is that the existence of probity in public matters in this country is not only real but also dates back to the colonial period (1541–1818). Four main factors are identified that were decisive in the emergence of a culture of public probity in the country: (1) the impact on the colonial administration of the never-ending Arauco War against the Mapuche Indians; (2) the extreme poverty and geographic isolation of the Kingdom of Chile; (3) the particular features of the Chilean ruling class; and (4) the existence of a strong sense of patriotism among the population.