5 El Salvador President's Allies Listed Corrupt by the U.S. States Department
Five officials from El Salvador were mentioned by the U.S. States Department in their list of public servants from Central America who are "credibly alleged" corrupt. Apart from the Salvadoran's, 12 were also accused by the States Department to do the same act from Guatemala and Honduras, which is composed of current and former members of their government.
Al Jazeera reported that the report or list was released by the office of U.S. Representative Norma Torres on Tuesday. The list included former and current public servants from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
Who Are the El Salvador Officials Accused of Corruption?
In the list provided by Torres' office on Tuesday, the accused officials from el Salvador were current and former members of the Salvadoran government and were allies of President Nayib Bukele.
Current Chief of Cabinet Carolina Recinos, former Vice Minister for Foreign Investment and Financing for Development and Legislator Jose Luis Merino, and current legislator from the GANA party Guillermo Gallegos were mentioned in the list of Salvadoran corrupt officials. However, details regarding what they specifically corrupted were not furthered in the list.
Current Minister of Security and Justice Rogelio Rivas was also accused after awarding his own private construction company several noncompetitive and unadvertised contracts. The said contracts were made to build police stations and other infrastructures that are under his capacity and inflated the cost of materials.
Meanwhile, a former legislator from the FMLN party, Sigfrido Reyes was also accused of corruption. Torres' office cited credible sources saying that Reyes laundered fraudulent travel expenses.
Guatemala and Honduras "Corrupt Officials"
Torres' list of corrupt Central America Officials also included public servants from Guatemala and Honduras. In Honduras, six current members of the Honduran National Congress were accused by the States Department to embezzle money and be involved in a narcotrafficking organization.
Juan Carlos Valenzuela Molina, Welsy Milena Vasquez Lopez, Milton Jesus Puerto Oseguera, Gustavo Alberto Perez, and Gladys Aurora Lopez were accused of embezzling at least $800,000 each from various government agencies. Meanwhile, Oscar Najera was the one involved in the narcotrafficking organization.
In Guatemala, the States Department accused at least six former and current public servants. Former Guatemalan Minister of the economy Acisco Vallardes was accused to launder about $10 million in cocaine profits for traffickers as well as paying to corrupt politicians. Carlos Danilo Preciado Navarijo was accused of drug trafficking and relationship with cartels in Colombia and Mexico.
Boris Roberto Espana Caceres from the Guatemalan Congress since 2012, former First Secretary of Guatemalan Congress Felive Alejos Lorenzana, former Presidential Chief of Staff Gustavo Adolfo Alejos Cambara, and former Congressman Mari Amilcar Estrada Orellano were also included in the list of corrupt officials.
Congresswoman Norma Torres on the List
Torres emphasized the importance of the list as it placed the actors in corruption on notice while advancing the prospect of accountability.
"We cannot expect the people of El Salvador Guatemala, and Honduras to thrive at home while their elected officials are more focused on self-enrichment than serving the public," said Torress in the press release issued the same day the list of Corrupt Central America officials.
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