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Why is Brazil so corrupt?
Brazil used to be a military state. During that time, many official figures were involved in corrupt actions and bribery. The country became democratic only in 1998. Since that time, the people have been taught about their rights, accountability, and democratic values. As a result, the people started fighting against bribery and other nondemocratic actions.
Thus, the young prosecutors became aggressive and ready to take actions against the old-school officials and businesspersons.
Odebrecht case in Brazil
The prosecution of Odebrecht became one of the greatest cases after anti-corruption laws were approved in Brazil. As the prosecutors proved, the company paid millions of dollars in bribes in several countries:
- Venezuela: $98 million
- Ecuador: $34 million
- Peru: $29 million
- Columbia: $11 million
- Brazil: $349 million
- Argentina: $35 million
- The Dominican Republic: $92 million
- Mexico: $10.5 million.
The case appeared to be a large scandal, which touched whole South America. Plenty of sectors felt the influence, such as:
- engineering
- construction
- breakbulk
- project cargo
- chemical industry, etc.
The prosecution found out that many officials were involved in corruption including the former presidents and the members of the cabinet.
Current situation with corruption in Brazil
As Andy Spalding (a specialist in anti-corruption) claims, it is a new page in the Brazilian history. Today the country is one of the leaders in fighting corruption along with such countries as the USA and the UK. The fact is that Brazil is no longer the country deeply involved in corruption. It is the country where corruption is exposed and prosecuted. Thus, they are not in decline, as many people think. Even the senior government officials, such as Dilma, Lula, and Temer are being prosecuted. All of them were educated in a dictatorship state.
The public protest provoked the government to adopt the anti-corruption laws in 2011 and 2013. They became an effective tool for the prosecutors who wanted to fight against corruption. The specialists say that it is the rise of law in the country.
As the attorneys Amelia Medina, Kyle Sheahan, and Jason Jones claim, the companies must create appropriate regulatory tools to struggle corruption in all the locations where they have the business (even the distant ones).