SUNDAY, 01 MAY 2011 15:30

http://www.newsroompanama.com/panama/2701-the-ethos-of-presidential-corruption-in-latin-america.html

The culture of corruption is alive and well in Central America as the U.S. seeks the extradition of a former president of Guatemala on charges of money laundering.

In Costa Rica, two former president’s have been sentenced to long jail terms for corruption and in Panama the organized crime prosecutor plans to appeal a recent court ruling  that threw out charges of  alleged money laundering against former president Ernesto Perez Balladares..

Alfonso Portillo was president of Guatemala (2000-2004)   and  is accused byt the UIited States of money laundering,  having allegedly used the country's financial system to launder about $ 70 million  embezzled from state resources.

But before sending him to face trial in the U.S.  the Guatemalan justice system wants to try him for corruption with the state prosecutors calling for  a10 year prison term.

Wikileaks revelations recently published in Panama America show messages from former U.S. ambassador Linda Watt to Washington, saying that former President Perez Balladares lost his  U.S. visa for trafficking undocumented people into the United States.Romulo Abad, former private secretary to Balladares also lost his visa to the United States. Abad is one of 11 other defendants whose money laundering charges were thrown out on Friday, April 29 along with charges against Balladares.