A new and widespread corruption scandal implicating businessmen alongside former Kirchner administration officials may have unforeseen consequences for Argentina’s future as a democracy. The recent conviction of former Vice President Amado Boudou to five years and 10 months in prison for crimes committed while in office may still offer some hope for the country.
Corruption certainly isn’t new to Argentina. It has been chiseled into Argentina’s political landscape since the beginning of the 20th century and acquired pandemic intensity after Gen. Juan Domingo Perón’s governments. Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, the winner of the 1980 Nobel Peace Prize, spoke of the pervasive “moral illness” of Argentina’s society.
