In Venezuela and throughout the region, corruption will not be eliminated overnight. But to reduce it, several things must occur, Susan Segal, AS/COA’s president and CEO, writes for Americas Quarterly’s new issue:
- First, the cost-benefit analysis for corruption must be changed. The benefits of corrupt acts must be outweighed by higher costs: jail, the loss of stolen funds, public shame for the corrupt and their families.
- Second, institutions must be strengthened. Countries need independent judicial systems that both investigate and prosecute crimes….
Saving anti-corruption activism will require courage, smart reforms, and honesty about its problems, adds AS/COA Vice President Brian Winter, in an overview of the popular but struggling civil society movement.
