Another thing that helps is a civil service system based upon merit, not a spoils systems based upon cronyism. A few of them can bring corruption to a screeching halt. But to get whistleblowers to come forward, a system that rewards rather than punishes them must be established. That we don t have. Whistleblowers are considered traitors here.
Independent prosecutors are also helpful.
Even so, it s better to have overzealous independent prosecutors than no independent prosecutors. Yet again, without depoliticized courts, it does not matter how many good prosecutors you have. The rules against nepotism and conflict of interest must be enforced. In Venezuela, a private interest in public transactions is customarily pursued with immunity. Well, if political cronyism is a right, then corruption is a right for the privileged few who get picked to enjoy a monopoly of power, the discretion to use it the way they please, and the comfort of knowing that crimes, if committed, will not be exposed, and in the odd chance they are, they will not be jailed.