Argentina’s biggest victory against corruption in recent memory could have an impact across Latin America. But to make a permanent dent on this problem, countries will have to take much more drastic actions — such as eliminating cash.
To be sure, the “notebooks” scandal that rocked Argentina this week and the country’s unrelated sentencing of former vice president Amado Boudou to almost six years in prison for bribery during the 2007-2015 government of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner are historic events. In Argentina, few powerful people have ever gone to prison.
Much like Brazil’s recent Odebrecht scandal, which tainted many key politicians and business people, Argentina’s “notebooks” scandal is massive.