Thread: "Corruption in Panama is Cultural" - Eaton

By Eliana Morales Gil for La Prensa - William Eaton, the US ambassador to Panama, said the problem of corruption in Panama is cultural. He also said corruption in Panama affects the investment climate in the country. "If powerful people continue fomenting corruption, its a bad signal which infects the entire population," he said. Eaton will be leaving the embassy in July and will be replaced in August by Barbara Stephenson who was recently ratified by the US Senate. (Photo Credit: LA PRENSA/Gabriel Rodríguez)


ENTREVISTA.


‘Corrupción es cultural’: EatonLA PRENSA/Gabriel RodríguezWilliam Eaton, embajador de Estados Unidos.1030507


Eliana Morales Gilemorales@prensa.com


William Eaton, embajador de Estados Unidos en Panamá, asegura que el problema de la corrupción en Panamá es un asunto cultural. Situación que, según dice, afecta el clima de inversión en el país. "Si los poderosos siguen fomentando la corrupción, dan una mala señal y esta se contagia a todo el pueblo", asegura.


Eaton deja la embajada en julio próximo y será reemplazado en agosto por Barbara Stephenson, quien ya fue ratificada por el Senado.

More...

See the Panama America homicide investigation of Franklin Brewster.
Corruption or just "FBI agents" that never learned basic investigative procedures?
The US Embassy has been able to provide a sham investigation. dubious evidence, lab samples with fake IDs (not Brewster´s), FBI lab reports that look like they were made by 5th graders, polygraph exams that no authority in the Republic of Panama has been able to see and at least 1 fake FBI agent on this case. All in violation of Panama´s laws.
(Oh, last time we checked, passing yourself off as a fed is a big crime in the US)
The Unit in charge of busting big dope cases in Panama has been dismantled, first by murder of its director, then with this "evidence", by firing Panamanian agents, and by throwing two unit members in jail accused of murder with a US polygraph exam that does not exist. Dope business is back in town, thanks to Mr. Eaton´s machinery. If I was him, I wouldn´t be talking about corruption.

y Christopher Lee
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 25, 2006; A17

When Cecilia Woods, an FBI special agent based in Panama, suspected her boss of having extramarital affairs including one with a paid informant in 2000, she reported her concerns to bureau officials -- and started investigating on her own.
Woods's supervisor eventually admitted to the affairs, and to giving the informant lingerie and other gifts, said Grassley, whose staff investigated the case. For that and for misusing government vehicles, he received a 14-day suspension, a demotion and a transfer to the office of his choice, Grassley said.

For her trouble, the bureau suspended her for 10 days, then later transferred her to a less prestigious post in Washington, Woods said. The 23-year veteran retired in 2005 after enduring a second, unrelated suspension of 14 days and concluding that she would never get back in the agency's good graces.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...401502_pf.html

Park Service Corruption
www.parkservicecorruption.com

Uncovering corruption within the US Customs Service
www.customscorruption.com

U.S. federal agent identified by Gómez Bustamante as being on the “payroll” was Javier Pena, who at the time was the assistant country attaché of the DEA Bogotá Country Office in Colombia.
www.narconews.com/Issue40/article1662.html

The Quaker Economist #157 - Corruption in America
http://tqe.quaker.org/2007/TQE157-EN-Corruption.html

PUBLIC CORRUPTION IN THE UNITED STATES
www.corporatecrimereporter.com/corruptreport.pdf

THE FIFTY STATES
RANKED BY
CORRUPTION RATE

No question about it. Corruption is part of 'culture" EVERYWHERE! I can't think of any place or country I've lived where corruption isn't well known to the public who are frustrated about it but end up shrugging their shoulders and living with it. Thanks for your additional research to which widens out the view of where corruption is found!

Originally Posted by Watley

Park Service Corruption
www.parkservicecorruption.com

Uncovering corruption within the US Customs Service
www.customscorruption.com

U.S. federal agent identified by Gómez Bustamante as being on the “payroll” was Javier Pena, who at the time was the assistant country attaché of the DEA Bogotá Country Office in Colombia.
www.narconews.com/Issue40/article1662.html

The Quaker Economist #157 - Corruption in America
http://tqe.quaker.org/2007/TQE157-EN-Corruption.html

PUBLIC CORRUPTION IN THE UNITED STATES
www.corporatecrimereporter.com/corruptreport.pdf

THE FIFTY STATES
RANKED BY
CORRUPTION RATE

It´s amazing that from all the ambassadors in Panama, the one that keeps insulting the place is the one whose gov. used to be in the cocaine business with Panama´s military; used the banking system in Panama to launder millions, abused the public registry to register companies for this purpose and for more than a decade, thousands of tons of cocaine poured onto the streets of America through the Panama Canal while high ranking US officials participated in the festivities. This destroyed the stability of millions of American families, and the repercussions to both countries are still being felt today.
www.dreamscape.com/morgana/reagan.htm
http://www.fromthewilderness.com/fre...ness_list.html

The CIA put Noriega in charge, can you beat that?

Originally Posted by Panama News

By Eliana Morales Gil for La Prensa - William Eaton, the US ambassador to Panama, said the problem of corruption in Panama is cultural. He also said corruption in Panama affects the investment climate in the country. "If powerful people continue fomenting corruption, its a bad signal which infects the entire population," he said. Eaton will be leaving the embassy in July and will be replaced in August by Barbara Stephenson who was recently ratified by the US Senate. (Photo Credit: LA PRENSA/Gabriel Rodríguez)


ENTREVISTA.


‘Corrupción es cultural’: EatonLA PRENSA/Gabriel RodríguezWilliam Eaton, embajador de Estados Unidos.1030507


Eliana Morales Gilemorales@prensa.com


William Eaton, embajador de Estados Unidos en Panamá, asegura que el problema de la corrupción en Panamá es un asunto cultural. Situación que, según dice, afecta el clima de inversión en el país. "Si los poderosos siguen fomentando la corrupción, dan una mala señal y esta se contagia a todo el pueblo", asegura.


Eaton deja la embajada en julio próximo y será reemplazado en agosto por Barbara Stephenson, quien ya fue ratificada por el Senado.

More...

Check this out - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corrupt...ceptions_Index Look at where the US is and look at where Panama is.

Is the US corrupt? Absolutely, positively and horribly.

But Panama and the US have completely different types of corruption and I would venture to say that Panama's version is worse as these experts agree.

We should not make assumptions based on absolute factor. We should compare Panama with other nations. In my opinion, Panama is not that corrupt. There is corruption, but compared to most of the other nations, it is bearable. Anyway Panama is in Latin America and so we should expect it to have some influences from those neighboring nations.

Absolutely, there is corruption everywhere and while I do not know statistically which country it's the most corrupt one (if such study can even be made) I do not think an ambassador should talk about the country he is in in such manner. Maybe he didn't hear about diplomacy
Oh wait, he is the ambassador! lol

Indeed, there is corruption everywhere, there is no any place they dont have.
And curruption is always cultural...it also inst Panama specific.
Some country got used to it during the years, others less...but corruption is a part of life in most pure countries, it is fact. or it is cultural...call it as you wish.

Originally Posted by Mackenze

Check this out - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corrupt...ceptions_Index Look at where the US is and look at where Panama is.

Originally Posted by crisella74

Absolutely, there is corruption everywhere and while I do not know statistically which country it's the most corrupt one (if such study can even be made) I do not think an ambassador should talk about the country he is in in such manner. Maybe he didn't hear about diplomacy
Oh wait, he is the ambassador! lol

Perhaps you didn't read my post or didn't click the link. A study is not only possible, it's been done and for many years. Click the link and see the reality of differences in corruption from country to country.

Panama is massively and deeply corrupt, from the politicians down to the schoolchildren. It is a completely different type of corruption from other countries and I believe that it's worse simply because it's more accepted and in some ways, respected than in other countries.

I don't think I'm alone in this opinion.

I know what you mean but I don't think that is a proper study, it's more like, as they say it themselves "the perception of a selected few". I don't think a proper study can be made because what in one country is viewed as "mutual benefits" in another country would be seen as bribery. I can't say whether Panama is more corrupt or not, or if it's part of the culture or not because I simply do not have the information and I don't like to just give an opinion for the sake of saying something. I think those who have been living in Panama for a long time have a better view.
Anyway, what I was trying to say is that I don't think an ambassador should start saying things like that about a country where he is supposed to be a diplomat. In my books, that's just not nice or wise. I'm sure there are plenty of other people to voice any worries about corruption.

Originally Posted by crisella74

Anyway, what I was trying to say is that I don't think an ambassador should start saying things like that about a country where he is supposed to be a diplomat. In my books, that's just not nice or wise. I'm sure there are plenty of other people to voice any worries about corruption.

No kidding. Here´s a guy who represents the US government and sends another government fake federal agents with forged official documents and laughs about it. Some Diplomacy.
Covering up a drug homicide should rank pretty high on some of those "studies".

Originally Posted by GordonS

No question about it. Corruption is part of 'culture" EVERYWHERE!

Culture?! I can't agree!

LOL. Here´s what William Eaton left behind in Panama. Lying to a host government as a Govt official is not considered corruption I guess. Covering up for corrupt DEA and FBI traquetos must be ok too. He presented the Panamanian Government with an FBI report in a murder investigation and the FBI says: DOCUMENT FBI 163-PC-965 DOES NOT EXIST. They gave him a promotion for that one.

The Murder of Franklin Brewster - Home

The nerve

He may be the pot calling the kettle black, but can any of you really see a bright dawn for the Panamanian government? Hell, maybe the Americans did make them that way, but corruption does run rampant, and NOT just in the government. Doesn't mean that Panama isn't a worthy country. I love it, but it is a sad reality.

Narco News: Leaked Memo: Corrupt DEA Agents in Colombia Help Narcos and Paramilitaries

Duh ! Why are people surprised at corruption in Panama? It's rampant in the USA and Canada too and every other country. Just not as widely accessible to us common folk. If you've got enough money, you can get whatever you want in any country.

It's kinda funny, I had dinner on Sunday with an attorney in the Bank District and he said things are much harder to get done now with the whole "anti-corruption" thing going on. He preferred corruption because then you know exactly who to bribe, for how much, and there won't be much hassle. Anti-corruption means the bribes (cost of business) increase in price.

...To this day, it is unknown how many US Embassy personnel and other non personnel presented themselves to the Panamanian Government as FBI agents. At least one person was impersonating a Federal Agent with fake credentials, doing legal work in the name of the FBI and the American Embassy in Panama. These illegal activities were being directed by the US Embassy Legal Attache David Watley and the DEA agent Joseph Evans while the US Ambassador to Panama William Eaton did absolutely nothing to avoid breaking US and Panama Laws while two US Federal Employees under his supervision went about Panama City covering up the murder of a fellow police officer.
On the other hand, we have an individual running around Panama City impersonating a Federal Agent with fake FBI credentials, doing legal work in the drug world in the name of the FBI and the American Embassy. All this with the blessings of the DEA, the FBI and 3 US Ambassadors to Panama.
http://franklinbrewster.weebly.com

What's the point of this?

Panama has no funcioning mail system (in fact it was easier/faster to mail stuff from India to the UK 100 years ago) and there are limited capabilities for forensic research?

The latest "Corruption Index" was just released today. Found here Transparency International Click on the Index on the left hand panel.

Originally Posted by GordonS

The latest "Corruption Index" was just released today. Found here Transparency International Click on the Index on the left hand panel.

Panama is NOT at the bottom. A lot of countries are way worst. It is in the same rank as Italy and Greece..... according to the group that prepared this report.

Mr. Woohoo, I agree with your banker friend. It's allot easier to deal with when you know the rules and the price list. I lived in Panama when I was in the Air Force years ago. We all knew if you got stopped by the Guadia National coming out of the bars just give them $5 or so and go on your way; no problems. I lived and worked in Mexico, same thing. Pay the guy with the gold leafs on his hat a five and the rest $2 or $3 each; no hassles. When you know the rules it's easier to deal with. Most of these guys pay big bucks for their jobs and the "tips" are just returns on their investment. I would rather pay five here and ten there in Panama than $1000 for a US lawyer and go to court over some local smoking ordinance or speeding fine and don't get me started on environmental regulations. The US is nickel and dime'n me to death and forget-about-it if you own a business the regulations (gov. and local) suck away all your profits.