June 3, 2021 3:10 PM | With information from EFE
15 minutes. US President Joe Biden ordered this Thursday to place the fight against corruption as one of the “main” elements of his international policy, assuring that it “attacks the foundations of democracy.”
In a report addressed to federal departments, Biden underlines that his Administration will lead “efforts to promote good governance”, “transparency” in the financial system both in the US and globally. Assures that will seek to prevent “corrupt actors from hiding their activities”.
“Corruption attacks the foundations of democratic institutions and fuels and intensifies extremism”, indicated the president.
Biden remarked that his fight against corruption “becomes one of the main elements in the national security interests of the country“.
Among the guidelines set, the report aims to identify and tackle corruption around the world. It also proposes modernizing existing tools to face new technologies.
In a phone call, a senior White House National Security Council official, who requested anonymity, indicated that the goal is for all federal agencies to “reinforce their efforts” against corruption in all areas.
On the agenda for Kamala Harris
A sample of the weight of the issue is that it will be on the agenda of Vice President Kamala Harris, on her trip to Guatemala and Mexico.
Harris assured that it is necessary “to have very frank and honest discussions about the need to address corruption, crime and violence” in Guatemala.
Harris’s visit is part of Biden’s strategy to curb irregular immigration into his country at its roots. Its focus is mainly on the so-called Northern Triangle of Central America, made up of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.
The Biden Government has ensured that will put conditions on the 4,000 million that it wants to deliver over the next 4 years to those countries Central Americans.
The US wants most of the aid to go to NGOs, international organizations and religious institutions who work on the ground with the inhabitants of those countries, to avoid fueling institutional corruption.
