At the 12th International Anti-corruption conference (IACC) last year in Guatemala the presidents of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama and the official representatives of Belize and Republica Dominicana, signed the Guatemala Declaration for a Zone Free of Corruption. One year later, Transparency Watch was able to catch up with President Oscar Arias Sánchez of Costa Rica to ask him about the fight against corruption in Central America and how this translates into tangible results for citizens.

Transparency Watch (TW): How is the fight against corruption relevant to Central America today?

Oscar Arias Sánchez (OAS): Corruption will be relevant as long as it exists, for it always has the power to weaken a government and erode people’s faith in government. I am proud to say that our region has embraced democracy – but most of those democracies are fairly young, and many Central Americans carry fresh memories of authoritarianism and oppression. If democracy is to become a solid hallmark of all our countries, our citizens most have faith in the mechanisms, officials and political parties that make up our governments. Corruption makes that impossible.

Needless to say, all countries in our region, to varying degrees, are also struggling to drive down poverty rates. Because corruption reduces the efficiency of public institutions, it has a direct effect on state resources; and in an even more direct way, corruption targets the poor, who often have no choice but to make the illegal payments that are asked of them, in order to receive the services that are their right.

Central America cannot afford these losses of faith and of funds.

TW: How can the commitment of the region’s presidents [in the Guatemala Declaration] be transformed into more tangible results for citizens?

OAS: Above all, this is a question of priorities. When a region is struggling with issues such as poverty, health care and education, measures to attack corruption may take a back seat. However, as I’ve mentioned, the problem of corruption worsens all other problems: it wastes funds, reduces efficiency, destroys faith in government and weakens democracy, making the measures of the Guatemala Declaration crucial and urgent.

The inverse is also true. Just as corruption affects all aspects of government, all aspects of government affect corruption, and a real solution must come from various sectors. For example, permanent change must begin at school. Many of our problems with corruption stem from the fact that too many people assume that certain levels of corruption are an unfortunate, but ultimately acceptable, part of the status quo. As long as this attitude persists, no other measures will be able to destroy corruption. We must provide a solid ethical education not only for our future leaders, but also for all our future citizens; after all, corrupt acts require two participants, one who initiates and one who tolerates. Our officials, teachers and parents must commit to beginning the change with our youngest citizens.

TW: What are the principal challenges that Central American governments face in order to eradicate corruption by 2010?

OAS: Eliminating unnecessary bureaucracy is equally important. As the Declaration states, we must strengthen the mechanisms for identifying and punishing corruption, but those tasks will remain difficult as long as slow, complex procedures and inefficient institutions exist. These are the breeding ground for unethical acts. Digital government is an ideal tool for improving access to services and information for the poorest members of society, and reducing their vulnerability.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. In the case of the struggle against corruption, prevention means an attitude shift throughout society; education to foment and sustain such a shift; and more efficient, more accessible government institutions.