Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez said that there have been absolutely no advances in the fight against corruption in government. According to the cardinal, the only solution is to prepare a new generation of politicians. In an interview with El Caribe newspaper, he said that in this country the greatest awards and recognition go to those who steal the most.
?I do not believe in the fight against corruption undertaken by any government,? he said. ?I would like you to mention just one case in which a corrupt person has been penalized. I have not seen it happen, even when there has been clear proof of wrongdoings. What prevails has been friendship, connivance, or whatnot. Corruption is a plague,? he said.
The cardinal feels that young people do not agree with this situation. He explained that through the work of the Catholic Church, and the two universities and several schools it has founded, he has come in close contact with the youth of the nation.
?The young people aspire to a more organized country, with greater justice,? he told the newspaper. ?The connivance, the abuses and the compromises ? everything ? is negotiated to cover up the crimes.?
The cardinal feels today?s level of corruption is due to the political structure of the system. ?There may be good politicians, but they are neutralized by the structures they come across, by the alliances that are made, because it is difficult for politicians to operate alone ? they need the gang.? There is also a cultural element, however. ?Whoever has a government job and is not corrupt is seen as an imbecile, a fool. There has to be a complete renovation, a new generation of politicians with different criteria, to send to retirement all those people for whom the peso is so dear to their hearts.?