You get a commission! You get a commission!

The US and international community seem to be interested in supporting the establishment of international commissions against impunity in Honduras and El Salvador, similar to what exists in Guatemala, but, unsurprisingly, the governments of Honduras and El Salvador don't seem very interested. Here's Sam Tabory in Insight Crime:

A top US State Department official said it would be an "intelligent" move for El Salvador andHonduras to consider establishing anti-impunity commissions, similar to the model that has been implemented in Guatemala. The sentiment highlights growing fears that organized crime and impunity in the Northern Triangle are beyond the control and capacity of existing national institutions.

During a roundtable appearance in El Salvador, State Department Counselor Thomas Shannon said he thought it was wise of El Salvador and Honduras to consider support from the "international community" in their ongoing fight against impunity, reported La Prensa Grafica.

He went on to mention the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala(CICIG) as a possible model for such support, emphasizing that individual countries would need to make their own decisions about what type of model would work best for their national context.

Honduras has gone out of its way to say that it is creating its own "Sistema Integral Contral la Impunidad (Integrated System Against Impunity)", although it's not really clear what that is. Hondurans have taken to the streets, however, to say that the government's proposals are not sufficient and that they have little faith in the Hernandez administration to take corruption seriously. They want an international commission.

In the case of El Salvador, the idea of creating a commission has come up a few times. However, the FMLN has shown little interest in supporting its establishment. I'm not sure what to think of Fiscal Martinez but his office could sure use some help. Instead, the FMLN has argued that corruption is not as bad in El Salvador as it is in Guatemala so there is no need. There's also the we've done so much already that we don't need an international commission. Finally, there's the it would be unconstitutional card that they are currently playing.

If people are serious about establishing international commissions in El Salvador and Honduras, they can't wait for those governments to request commissions. There was international and domestic civil society pressure applied to the Guatemalan government to accept such a commission. The Guatemalan government fought such a commission for the same reasons that Honduras and El Salvador are fighting - violation of sovereignty, we're making improvements already, unconstitutionality. It took a few years of pressure, but the Guatemalan congress and executive branch ultimately capitulated.

It's disappointing that the Honduran and Salvadoran governments and private sectors are not supportive of similar commissions in their countries. I'd like to see commissions established in both countries, especially El Salvador. CICIG has done a good job in spite of participating in a much weaker and corrupt environment. They've been fought at nearly every step of the way. An international commission in El Salvador could do a great deal because it would be stepping into an environment where the system isn't as broken and where there seems to be a significant number of people who would work with, rather than against, such a commission.