orruption remains a major problem for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Just look at the results of Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, released in February. The report notes, “Corruption across the Americans has allowed criminal networks to operate freely and with impunity. This has facilitated widespread environmental crimes, from illegal logging in Ecuador and illegal mining in Chile and Colombia, to wildlife trafficking in Brazil.”
Transparency International is a Berlin–based international watchdog fighting corruption around the globe. It was founded in 1993 and has chapters in many countries around the world. The index covers 180 countries, including all LAC countries.
The new index highlights the continued deterioration of most country ratings over the past several years. The most corrupt countries are Haiti (168th), Nicaragua (172nd) and Venezuela (178th). Venezuela has as peers Libya (173rd), Yemen (173rd), Syria (177th), Somalia (179th), and South Sudan (180th). What stands out with other countries in this group is that they are either amid civil wars or having just emerged from such conflicts. Venezuela’s index score stood at 19 in 2012 and has fallen to 10. Venezuela’s dismal ranking is due to widespread corruption among the national leadership, active penetration by organized crime in the major branches of the government, and porous borders conducive to illicit mining and trafficking of gold and drugs.
On the positive side, Uruguay ranked the highest from LAC, establishing itself as “cleanest” in the Americas. Ranked at 13th, it has largely maintained an upward trajectory since 2018. It has the same rating as Estonia and is just ahead of Canada and Germany. The next highest rated countries from the region are Barbados (23rd) and the Bahamas (28th). This places Uruguay and Barbados well ahead of the United States, which is now ranked 28th and has seen a steady deterioration of its standing since 2017.
Although Chile has maintained its ranking as one of the least corrupt countries in LAC, there was a noticeable deterioration from 2023 to 2024. Some of this reflected an upswing in violent crime and the growing threat of organized crime, especially from Venezuela.
Several Caribbean countries showed an improvement from 2023 to 2024. These were St. Vincent and the Grenadines (32nd), Dominica (36th), St. Lucia (38th), and Grenada (46%). Jamaica remained at 73rd, while Cuba (down) and Trinidad and Tobago (down) were tied at 82nd place.
Of the larger Latin American countries, the news was not positive. Argentina remained in the bottom half at 99th place and both Brazil (107th) and Peru (127th)), saw further downward marches in their scores. Wildlife trafficking loomed large in Brazil’s deteriorating score.
Probably the most noteworthy ranking was Mexico at 140th place. It went from a score of 31 points to 26 points in the 2023–2024 period. As Transparency International highlighted: “The judiciary of Mexico has failed to take action against corruption cases like Odebrecht and Segalmex, with the country having its lowest score ever.” This feeds into the narrative of high–ranking corruption during the presidency of Andrés Manuel López Obrador (2018-2024). It also does not benefit Mexico vis–à–vis the Trump administration, which is putting the country under pressure over the flow of drugs, cartel violence and human trafficking.
What to take from the Transparency International Index findings? Corruption remains a major factor in the Americas, including in its largest economies, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil and the U.S. Second, there are consequences; LAC publics are willing to vote against incumbents who promise to tackle corruption. This will be a factor in 2025 as several countries go to the polls, including Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Guyana, Honduras, and Suriname.
Furthermore, corruption causes economic damage through inefficient markets and the erosion of human capital. According to the UN and World Economic Forum, the global cost of corruption is equal to $5 trillion annually of global stolen funds. Corruption has already done considerable economic damage in Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, which have seen a substantial downturn in living standards. Finally, climate change and corruption issues are increasingly overlapping as more money has gone into such things as energy transition, critical metals mining, and energy infrastructure and been misallocated.
When considering the 2024 Transparency International index, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele’s words are worth noting: “The people are going to be able to judge for themselves who is supporting corruption and who is against it.” Over the period of 2020 to 2024, El Salvador’s score on the corruption index fell from 36 to 30. El Salvador is ranked 130th.
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Corruption across LAC grows: Transparency International
Monument to the virgin in Maracaibo, Venezuela. Venezuela has the highest corruption rating among LAC countries for 2024, according to Transparency International. Image via Pixabay.
March 12, 2025
Corruption has long been a problem for the LAC. A new report by Transparency International illustrates mixed results for the region, with larger Latin American countries becoming increasingly corrupt over the year, writes Dr. Scott B. MacDonald.
C
orruption remains a major problem for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Just look at the results of Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, released in February. The report notes, “Corruption across the Americans has allowed criminal networks to operate freely and with impunity. This has facilitated widespread environmental crimes, from illegal logging in Ecuador and illegal mining in Chile and Colombia, to wildlife trafficking in Brazil.”
Transparency International is a Berlin–based international watchdog fighting corruption around the globe. It was founded in 1993 and has chapters in many countries around the world. The index covers 180 countries, including all LAC countries.
The new index highlights the continued deterioration of most country ratings over the past several years. The most corrupt countries are Haiti (168th), Nicaragua (172nd) and Venezuela (178th). Venezuela has as peers Libya (173rd), Yemen (173rd), Syria (177th), Somalia (179th), and South Sudan (180th). What stands out with other countries in this group is that they are either amid civil wars or having just emerged from such conflicts. Venezuela’s index score stood at 19 in 2012 and has fallen to 10. Venezuela’s dismal ranking is due to widespread corruption among the national leadership, active penetration by organized crime in the major branches of the government, and porous borders conducive to illicit mining and trafficking of gold and drugs.
On the positive side, Uruguay ranked the highest from LAC, establishing itself as “cleanest” in the Americas. Ranked at 13th, it has largely maintained an upward trajectory since 2018. It has the same rating as Estonia and is just ahead of Canada and Germany. The next highest rated countries from the region are Barbados (23rd) and the Bahamas (28th). This places Uruguay and Barbados well ahead of the United States, which is now ranked 28th and has seen a steady deterioration of its standing since 2017.
Although Chile has maintained its ranking as one of the least corrupt countries in LAC, there was a noticeable deterioration from 2023 to 2024. Some of this reflected an upswing in violent crime and the growing threat of organized crime, especially from Venezuela.
Several Caribbean countries showed an improvement from 2023 to 2024. These were St. Vincent and the Grenadines (32nd), Dominica (36th), St. Lucia (38th), and Grenada (46%). Jamaica remained at 73rd, while Cuba (down) and Trinidad and Tobago (down) were tied at 82nd place.
Of the larger Latin American countries, the news was not positive. Argentina remained in the bottom half at 99th place and both Brazil (107th) and Peru (127th)), saw further downward marches in their scores. Wildlife trafficking loomed large in Brazil’s deteriorating score.
Probably the most noteworthy ranking was Mexico at 140th place. It went from a score of 31 points to 26 points in the 2023–2024 period. As Transparency International highlighted: “The judiciary of Mexico has failed to take action against corruption cases like Odebrecht and Segalmex, with the country having its lowest score ever.” This feeds into the narrative of high–ranking corruption during the presidency of Andrés Manuel López Obrador (2018-2024). It also does not benefit Mexico vis–à–vis the Trump administration, which is putting the country under pressure over the flow of drugs, cartel violence and human trafficking.
What to take from the Transparency International Index findings? Corruption remains a major factor in the Americas, including in its largest economies, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil and the U.S. Second, there are consequences; LAC publics are willing to vote against incumbents who promise to tackle corruption. This will be a factor in 2025 as several countries go to the polls, including Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Guyana, Honduras, and Suriname.
Furthermore, corruption causes economic damage through inefficient markets and the erosion of human capital. According to the UN and World Economic Forum, the global cost of corruption is equal to $5 trillion annually of global stolen funds. Corruption has already done considerable economic damage in Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, which have seen a substantial downturn in living standards. Finally, climate change and corruption issues are increasingly overlapping as more money has gone into such things as energy transition, critical metals mining, and energy infrastructure and been misallocated.
When considering the 2024 Transparency International index, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele’s words are worth noting: “The people are going to be able to judge for themselves who is supporting corruption and who is against it.” Over the period of 2020 to 2024, El Salvador’s score on the corruption index fell from 36 to 30. El Salvador is ranked 130th.
