On Friday, 14 September 2018, the executive editor of the nation’s largest newspaper, Adriano Miguel Tejada, voiced in his AM editorial concerns about when the country will rise to the exemplary justice in Central America. He uses the catchy “pa’cuando” (when will it be) phrase made popular in the JLo song.
“An example… And here, when will it be? The editorial begins with a description of a photograph of former President Elías Antonio Saca in prison garb after being sentenced for corruption in office, along with several of his ministers. The former President was sentenced to five years in prison on the first charge and another five years for money laundering, and he was ordered to pay a fine of US$260 million. Also convicted were former assistant to the president, Pablo Gomez together with former ministers of Communications and Youth.
“Central America has provided an example for the application of justice without prejudice of who is affected. Former presidents in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and now El Salvador have been convicted. At the same time in Panama a former President is now on trial. However, to the contrary, in our country the dominant thesis is that “Presidents are not to be touched,” as if corruption was a disease that can be fought from the outside,” he writes.
“Why can’t a former President be put on trial? Supposedly, the person who was invested with the highest honor a country can bestow upon a citizen should behave at the level of his duty, which includes the careful and faithful administration of public funds and not to use his position for personal benefit. There is no argument that can counter the ideal of equal treatment of all before the law. Until we eradicate this culture of fraud, it will be impossible to end corruption in our country,” he concludes.
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Diario Libre
17 September 2018
