Some countries of the Hemisphere have significant capital-exporting multinational enterprises, so the further expansion of prohibitions on transnational bribery in those countries' legal systems would be a significant complement to the OECD Convention. A third advantage to the United States is that the Convention augments existing mechanisms for international cooperation in law enforcement matters. For example, most of our older extradition treaties with countries in the region render extraditable only certain offenses listed in the treaty. The Corruption Convention would supplement such treaties with the additional offenses contemplated by the Convention, thereby enabling the United States to more effectively obtain the extradition of offenders accused of corruption offenses. Fourth, ratification would further U.S. efforts to support democratic institutions in the region.
Corruption debilitates and destabilizes government institutions.
However, as recent events in Ecuador and Paraguay underline, democracies remain vulnerable and fragile. Public corruption further undermines the legitimacy of governments and weakens support for the often difficult steps that responsible governments must take. Corruption has become a rallying cry for citizens too long denied transparent, accountable government. A recent survey in the Hemisphere demonstrated that while the majority of citizens still support democracy as the preferred system of government, a majority are also deeply dissatisfied with the practice of democracy in their country. In many countries in the region, corruption by entrenched political parties and interests has become a major issue in electoral politics in recent years, bringing the issue front and center and demonstrating how corruption can bring down even democratically elected governments if it is not effectively addressed.