Corruption | Council on Foreign Relations

Americas

Lava Jato: See How Far Brazil’s Corruption Probe Reached

Corruption investigations that started in Brazil ultimately triggered political upheaval across the continent. But the Brazilian taskforce’s methods have been questioned, including over alleged bias.

In Brief by Amelia Cheatham April 19, 2021
Politics and Government

Home and Abroad Series Public Forum: The Future of Democracy

CFR’s inaugural Home and Abroad series public forum on the state of democracy globally discusses the role democracy should occupy in U.S. foreign policy, and actions policymakers, business leaders, civil society, and citizens should consider taking and supporting to promote democratic norms, values, and institutions here and around the world. This meeting is part of the Diamonstein-Spielvogel Project on the Future of Democracy.

Virtual Event by Danielle Allen, Richard N. Haass and Yascha Mounk March 30, 2021 Home and Abroad Series
Central America

Making Anti-Corruption Reforms Stick in the Northern Triangle

The Biden administration made a bold commitment to support the region’s prosecutors in their fight against impunity. But corrupt courts, business associations, and legislatures could derail the progress if they are not reformed in time.

Blog Post by Will Freeman March 12, 2021 Latin America's Moment

Zimbabwe

New Report Shines Spotlight on Corruption in Zimbabwe

Last month, South Africa’s Daily Maverick newspaper published a damning exposé on corruption in Zimbabwe. The report, titled Cartel Power Dynamics in Zimbabwe [PDF], details off-the-books networks wo…

Blog Post by Michelle Gavin February 19, 2021 Africa Program
Mali

Mali's Amadou Touré and the Conundrum of African Leadership

Amadou Touré, coup maker, coup victim, military ruler, and eventually civilian chief of state in Mali, died last week in Istanbul at the age of seventy-two. Touré dominated Mali's governance for some…

Blog Post by John Campbell November 20, 2020 Africa in Transition
Peru

Peru’s Democratic Crisis

President Martin Vizcarra’s ouster has caused turmoil and a leadership vacuum, amid economic turbulence and severe pandemic strains. Why has Peru endured so much political upheaval?

In Brief by Paul J. Angelo November 17, 2020 Latin America Studies Program
Mozambique

Failures of Governance Exacerbate Situation in Mozambique

The worsening crisis in northern Mozambique is a case study in why governance matters. For years, the prevailing narrative about Mozambique was all about peace dividends, economic growth, and the pro…

Blog Post by Michelle Gavin September 23, 2020 Africa in Transition
South Africa

South Africa's Ramaphosa Tackles Corruption and Strengthens His Hand

South Africans have long feared that corruption would move from "retail," small-scale and individualistic, to "structural," as it is in some other African countries, where corruption infuses the poli…

Blog Post by John Campbell September 3, 2020 Africa in Transition
Iraq

Iraq’s New Government: What to Know

Iraq’s new prime minister has formed a government in the hope of uniting the country’s factions, but challenges in combating corruption, powerful militias, and foreign influence loom.

In Brief by Nathalie Bussemaker August 11, 2020
Nigeria

Nigerian Media’s Unsubstantiated Claims that U.S. Agencies Investigating Corruption by Buhari's Inner Circle

Pointblank News is reporting that the U.S. Departments of State and Justice are investigating Sabiu 'Tunde' Yusuf, Sarki Abba, Mamman Daura, Ismaila Isa Funtua, and his son Abubakar Funtua for money …

Blog Post by John Campbell June 24, 2020 Africa in Transition
Corruption

Why Governance Matters in the Time of COVID-19

Transparency, accountability, and trust matter now more than ever.

Blog Post by Guest Blogger for the Internationalist June 23, 2020 The Internationalist
Nigeria

In Bayelsa, Nigerian Government Response to COVID-19 Falls Short of Promises

In Nigeria, as elsewhere in Africa (and the world, for that matter), there is often a large disconnect between what the federal government says in its press statements and what actually happens at th…

Blog Post by John Campbell June 5, 2020 Africa in Transition
Nigeria

Good Leadership at the Top Belies Facts on the Ground in Nigeria

The Buhari administration has been moving energetically to respond to the coronavirus and the collapse of international oil prices. The finance ministry has moved quickly to recalculate the national …

Blog Post by John Campbell May 8, 2020 Africa in Transition
South Africa

Amid COVID-19 Pandemic in South Africa, Zuma One Step Closer to Justice

Easy to overlook among the COVID-19 headlines is a positive development involving the prosecution of former President Jacob Zuma. It has the potential for reaffirming, perhaps reanimating, South Afri…

Blog Post by John Campbell May 1, 2020 Africa in Transition
Nigeria

Lamido Sanusi: A Man of Nigeria’s Past and Possibly Its Future

On March 9, the governor of Kano state removed Sanusi Lamido Sanusi from his position as Emir of Kano, which is usually regarded as the second or third most important Muslim traditional ruler in Nige…

Blog Post by John Campbell March 31, 2020 Africa in Transition