Articles

The severe blow to the people's trust, shamefully illustrated in the corruption case in which a businessman with multiple government contracts admits having participated in a conspiracy to bribe the chief authority in the Municipality of Cataño, highlights the urgency of implementing truly rigorous mechanisms in government contracting in Puerto Rico.

Curbing the conduct that bleeds the treasury and, therefore, the pockets of taxpayers, is possible only through the selection of contractors via clean processes and the accurate verification of the work that justifies the disbursements of public funds that include federal allocations.

Every contractual relationship in government must be subject to strict and constant scrutiny to avoid worsening the impairment of the reputation of local government management before federal authorities.

Eradicating corrupt schemes such as those that have recently implicated seven former mayors and other senior officials of various municipalities is also the task of the political organizations to which those officials belong. Those parties are responsible for the selection of the candidates that their insignias present at the polls.

The case against the businessman José Bou Santiago, who on Tuesday pleaded guilty to conspiring to bribe the former mayor of Cataño, Félix Delgado Montalvo, raises questions about the criteria that mediate in contracting for purchases and services, both in the town halls and in other entities of the Puerto Rican government. These atrocities require the review of current agreements, as well as a true oversight of the bids that give rise to onerous contracting originating in political investmentism.

The illegal acts admitted by Bou Santiago add to other similar ones detected in Cataño, for which the businessmen Oscar Santamaría, president of Waste Collection, as well as Raymond Rodríguez and Mario Villegas, executives of J.R. Asphalt, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy and bribery before the Federal Court in San Juan.

Those illegalities entailed the disbursement of millions in allocations to subsidize garbage collection services, paving of municipal streets or roads, as well as maintenance and landscaping. In Cataño, costly vehicle rentals to Bou Santiago's company were also documented, including a luxury SUV for the transportation of the then municipal chief executive.

The fraudulent schemes in Cataño, and other cases that in less than six months have left an embarrassing balance of corrupt acts committed by politicians who swore to work for the well-being of the people, expose the lack of honesty and respect for public service. It is clear that there has been a rampant pattern of favoritism toward companies with dubious representations or that circumvent the processes that should defend the public interest.

Municipal administrations, and the other public entities, are called upon to curb the epidemic of corruption that erodes public management to the detriment of citizens' well-being and a healthy climate for doing business. That is why it is urgent to ensure transparent processes that cover the handling of public funds.

As part of the unpostponable exercises to achieve cleanliness and government efficiency, it is necessary to ensure compliance with the regulations and statutes, strengthening the loopholes that give way to rampant delinquency. Ignoring the legal frameworks promotes the illegal handling of public resources, as has occurred with the former mayor of Yauco, Abel Nazario. The former official reached an agreement yesterday with the Federal Prosecutor's Office to plead guilty. He was charged with charges related to the improper use of federal funds and the use of public employees for partisan political purposes.

It is up to the political class to curb the patterns of corruption that divert the resources destined to privilege citizens' well-being and investment in socioeconomic progress. It is the task of the authorities to give no respite to officials and businessmen who circumvent the healthy competition of the business ecosystem and the circumstances that enable the economic recovery of Puerto Rico.