Governance: Success Stories
Paraguay: Fighting Corruption
According to Transparency International and the World Bank Institute, Paraguayans perceive their country as the most corrupt country in Latin America. In order to fight corruption, USAID/Paraguay is supporting a grass-roots citizen watchdog network that has expanded from 15 to 25 local groups and is making an impact at the local level.
For example, one citizen watchdog group was asked by a citizen to help retrieve a truck that was illegally impounded by a prosecutor, who asked for a bribe of approximately $3000 to release the vehicle. This watchdog group coordinated with the Attorney General's Office Investigative unit to do a sting operation. The vehicle owner was able to tape record a conversation with the prosecutor in question and reduce the bribe to approximately $2,000. The watchdog group worked with the Attorney General's Office to photocopy the bills used to pay the bribe. Eventually the money exchanged hands and the prosecutor in question was arrested and is awaiting trial.
There are other such examples with citizen watchdog groups throughout the country, and USAID/Paraguay is in the process of supporting the publication of these cases. The Mission will support future efforts to expand this watchdog network to 100 groups throughout Paraguay.
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