The Corruption Perception Index prepared by Transparency International was released yesterday. Panama, as in years past, is an absolute disappointment. With only 36 points, very far from the score of 100 (which means total transparency), Panama has the same index as last year. That is to say, it has not advanced in the fight against corruption, a trend that is not only local but in the countries of the region. In the so-called information age, we are still mired in a lack of transparency and corruption is advancing rapidly. Criminal gangs have even penetrated the institutions, as has been evidenced on multiple occasions, with which organized crime has gained a lot of ground. And, despite the fact that we are aware of what this entails – such as, for example, that a politician named by the United States for having participated in acts of “significant corruption” – intends to be a candidate for the Presidency and thus control this country again. Panama faces serious and imminent dangers since citizens are neither vigilant nor informed; they are numbed with speeches riddled with lies and promises that are never fulfilled. We are all partly to blame for so much corruption. - LA PRENSA, Feb. 1.