Venezuela is the most corrupt country in America and the second worst rated in the world, according to the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2023 published this Tuesday by Transparency International. The measurement is based on a scale from 0 to 100, where 0 is the worst performance or the highest perception of corruption.

"Most countries made minimal or no progress"

"The 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released today by Transparency International shows that most countries have made little to no progress in tackling public sector corruption. The CPI global average remains unchanged at 43 for the twelfth year in a row, with more than two-thirds of countries scoring below 50. This indicates serious corruption problems," the report explained.

The document explained that in Venezuela "the payment of bribes and the co-optation of judges and prosecutors at all levels of the justice system has become one of the main mechanisms used by criminal networks to secure the operation of their illicit businesses as well as their impunity."

According to Transparency International, the Dominican Republic (35) is the only country that has made significant progress in the fight against corruption since 2021. In just two years, the nation has managed to strengthen the independence of the judiciary and the Public Ministry. The country has made progress in grand corruption cases.

In the case of the United States - which scored 69/100 - the report indicated that the Supreme Court's weak ethical standards raised serious questions of judicial integrity, but the federal and state judiciaries continued to function with adequate independence, free of executive and legislative interference.

Likewise, the study highlighted that the highest-rated nations are Denmark and Finland. "Due to well-functioning justice systems, these countries are also among the top scorers in the Rule of Law Index," highlighted Transparency International.