Más Información
In Mexico, money laundering by corrupt politicians surpasses that of organized crime, which makes necessary to change laws, because there are no legal proceedings against those cases, said Edgardo Buscaglia, researcher and professor at Columbia University.
In an interview with EL UNIVERSAL, Buscaglia said that his new book: “Lavado de dinero y corrupción política” (Money laundering and political corruption) breaks with the assumption that drug-trafficking proceeds explain everything related to money laundering in Mexico and other nations.
What happens in Mexico?
Drug cartel money is clearly significant, and it passes through Mexico's political system, which makes corruption relevant in its relation with the Sinaloa, Jalisco New Generation and other cartels. Also, we must add all the “dirty money” product of corruption, embezzlement and bribery, among other crimes.
Political corruption in Mexico moves more illicit funds than drug cartels.
Besides drug money, where do illegal funds moved by politicians come from?
Money laundering by corrupt politicians in Mexico is fueled by drug trafficking and many other crimes related to conflicts of interest, public procurement, influence trafficking, tax evasion, bribery and embezzlement, that are not considered in judicial investigations.
In Mexico you can not assume that drug trafficking is the main source of money laundering, because there are many crimes, including drug trafficking, that fuel political corruption in Mexico. Therefore it can not be assumed that drugs are the main source of money laundering.
Does this mean that members of the Mexican political class are infiltrated by drug trafficking?
Political class is infiltrated by organized crime and by its own internal corruption linked to companies that are not related to drug trafficking, for example, influence peddling to win tenders and conflict of interests. However, these resources are not considered as money laundering.
What about proceedings over money laundering by corrupt politicians?
In Mexico there are no legal proceedings related to money laundering by corrupt politicians, so it ranks third as the country with more illicit funds flowing into its economy. This does not happen in other nations.
We must reformulate strategies and judicial actions in Mexico to face this scourge. In politics there are no incentives to implement the recommendations that I have included in this book, the “dolce vita” is exceptional in the prevailing atmosphere of impunity.
How can things change in the country?
Pressure from abroad is mounting, as it happened in the 80s against Colombia and Italy, because the countries interacting with Mexico are paying a high cost due to the collapse of human security, and there is an increasing pressure to improve the quality of national institutions.
Economic sectors such as mining and oil will force Mexico, through its elite, to implement some of the best practices, not all, but at least some.
Political parties refuse to report on the use given to public funding. Does this facilitate money laundering?
Yes. There is no republican democratic culture in which officials have to make all their assets public. Officials believe that citizens are slaves and that they have to keep them in their networks as feudal lords. This political culture of impunity similar to what happens in Russia, Nigeria and Mexico will have to be suppressed.
