Presidential Corruption Scandals in Guatemala and Brazil

Matthew Taylor, associate professor at American University's School of International Service, and I recently spoke with Mike LaSusa of Insight Crime about recent corruption scandals in Brazil and Guatemala (Comparing Presidential Corruption Scandals in Guatemala and Brazil: Part 1).

Here is Mike LaSusa's write-up of the situation based upon our conversation and his study of the region's corruption scandals.

Over the past several years, both Brazil and Guatemalahave been rocked by revelations of widespread corruption at the highest levels of government. Former presidents in both countries are now standing trial for their alleged roles in the respective scandals. InSight Crime explores some of the similarities and differences between these cases.

In addition to reporting by InSight Crime and other outlets, this article also draws on a discussion InSight Crime moderated recently between Mike Allison, an expert on Central American politics who serves as an associate professor and chair of the political science department at the University of Scranton, and Matthew Taylor, an associate professor at American University's School of International Service who focuses on state capacity and corruption in Latin America and who has extensive experience in Brazil. 

An an edited transcript of our conversation will be available shortly.