Corruption: the character of the leaders?

 

 By Daniel Campos

Corruption scandals are shaking the world. Cases of dishonest rulers and millionaire bribes flood the front pages of newspapers. Is there a real solution or will it always be like this?

On April 21, a crowd went through the streets of Buenos Aires in protest against corruption. The disclosure of the photocopies of a driver's notebooks, involving cases of bribery and “illegal” contributions to political campaigns, involves the main construction companies and former officials of the previous Argentine government. At the time, the president of that country, Mauricio Macri , who won the elections raising the banners of transparency and honesty, has already accumulated more than 214 cases in court.

In Mexico, periodic demonstrations on Reforma Avenue incessantly cry out for a little justice. The Colombian prosecutor, Luis Gustavo Moreno, who led the fight against corrupt practices in the Attorney General's Office, was himself dismissed on corruption charges and sentenced to four years in prison.

Former Guatemalan President Otto Pérez Molina was tried for corruption, and faced charges for the crimes of illicit association, illicit enrichment, and customs fraud. In Peru, former President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (PPK) had to resign just a few months after being elected amid accusations of corruption and bribery.

The Operation Lava Jato (translated as Operation pressure washing), a corruption investigation conducted by the Federal Police of Brazil, led to more than a hundred citations, aiming to investigate a laundering scheme suspicious money by moving more of 2,640 million dollars. In a controversial trial, former President Lula da Silva himself was jailed.   

World corruption

Known corruption cases are far from uniquely Latin American. The Spanish Congress decided, a few months ago, to remove its president Mariano Rajoy after a court ruling that proved the existence of "a parallel financial and accounting structure" in his party. Even Mr. Donald Trump , current president of the United States, gathers accusations of corruption.

The NGO Transparency International (TI), which often points to the lack of efforts in the world to combat corruption, recently published its Annual Corruption Perceptions Index. It ranks New Zealand and Denmark as the least corrupt countries. Venezuela is the worst placed Latin American nation, it is in position 169, at the same level as Iraq, while Uruguay obtains the best score in Latin America, at number 23 in the world index. In TI's report , in which year-on-year variations are normally small, the rise of three points for Argentina and two points for Peru and Haiti stand out, as well as falls of three units for Brazil and El Salvador.    

When corruption abounds

The Odebrecht Case is an investigation by the United States Department of Justice published on December 21, 2016 on the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht , in which it is detailed that it would have carried out money bribes and bribes to government officials from 12 countries: Angola, Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, the United States, Guatemala, Mexico, Mozambique, Panama, Peru, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, during the last 20 years. Thus the company obtained benefits in public contracts.   

The Panama Papers (in Spanish Panama Papers ) is the expression given by the media to an informative leak of confidential documents of the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca, which revealed the concealment of company properties, assets, profits and evasion taxation of heads of state and government, world political leaders, politically exposed persons and personalities from finance, business, sports and the arts. The scandal affects 140 senior political leaders and public figures from 50 different countries, who participate or have participated in offshore companies in 21 different tax havens.     

Among those whose transactions have been made public are 12 heads and former heads of state, such as former Argentine President Mauricio Macri , Icelandic Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson , Ukrainian President Petró Poroshenko and the family of the Pakistani Prime Minister. Nadas Sharif , among others.

Cause and solution of global corruption

We cannot deny it. The human being has been unable to govern himself honestly and fairly . Lying, which is a component that is never missing when plotting an act of corruption, has permeated our societies to such an extent that many consider it a legitimate means to achieve their goals. The politician in the campaign lies saying what the people want to hear, even if they think otherwise. The people know they are lying, but at the same time they reason that it is not so bad since they all do it. It is the legitimate lie, the lack of personal and institutional integrity, the foundation that sustains corruption.          

Whoever participates with these letters believes that the Bible is the Instruction Manual that God left mankind. In Deuteronomy 16: 19-20 we read: “Do not twist the law; do not be respectful of persons, nor take a bribe; For bribery blinds the eyes of the wise, and perverts the words of the righteous. Justice, justice will follow ”.  

If the character of the current rulers were firm and were not continually inclined to evil, these words would be part of their daily conduct. The instructions of the Holy Scriptures continue: “You shall not steal, and you shall not deceive or lie to one another… You shall not oppress your neighbor, nor rob him. You will not withhold the wages of the laborer in your house until morning… You will not do injustice in the judgment, neither favoring the poor nor pleasing the great; in righteousness you shall judge your neighbor ”(Leviticus 19:11, 13, 15). Denying these biblical principles that apply both nationally and individually, entails the loss of integrity necessary for people to live in a healthy society and that repudiates corruption or any other kind of injustice, mistreatment of others or nature.

 The character of future rulers

But there is good news ahead! Although things will not improve in the short term, biblical prophecy tells us that a new world is coming: the wonderful world of tomorrow. Almighty God is not indifferent to the oppression with which the rulers, rich and powerful have subjected humanity.  

This world hijacked by Satan is about to change drastically. When Jesus Christ returns to earth he will establish a perfect world government with abundance, justice and peace. As "King of kings and Lord of lords" he will be accompanied by others who will rule with him. He will be the government of the incorruptible. For this reason, in the future, living in that world will be one of the most wonderful experiences that man could experience. The entire governmental, economic, commercial, educational and social system will be transformed, adapted to the principles of the just and holy law of God. You can be part of that world to come.