US releases list of Central American officials accused of corruption

The United States released a list on Thursday of officials accused of corruption and undermining democracy in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

The list of 55 current and former officials in the three Central American countries includes judges, lawmakers, cabinet ministers, mayors and two former presidents, Jose Porfirio Lobo of Honduras and Alvaro Colom of Guatemala.

“The United States is committed to improving social, economic, and political conditions in Central America,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement accompanying the release to the US Congress of the list of “corrupt and undemocratic actors.”

“US security and prosperity is tied to the success of our regional partners,” Blinken said.

“Actions that undermine the rule of law and democracy in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, and their repercussions on the lives of people in these countries, contribute to irregular migration and destabilize entire societies.”

The persons on the list will be ineligible for visas to the United States.

Many of those on the list have been previously accused of corruption, either at home or in the United States.

Lobo, the former president of Honduras, was accused of taking bribes from the Los Cachiros drug cartel in exchange for political favors.

His wife, former First Lady Rosa Elena Bonilla de Lobo, was also named on the list, accused of misappropriation of public funds.

Colom, a former president of Guatemala, was accused of fraud and embezzlement involving a new bus system in Guatemala City.

Agence France-Presse

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