Jesse J. De León - Governance, Public Policy and Central America

Stagnation and Asymmetries in Governance: An Analysis of the Corruption Perceptions Index in Central America (2024) PHd Jesse Josué De León De León ORCID 0009-0009-1746-8682  Public Administration Consultant / PhD in Human and Social Sciences from the Pontifical University of Salamanca, Spain Published in the Actualidad Centroamericana Magazine of ICAP Costa Rica Abstract Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) is one of the most widely cited global indicators for assessing public-sector integrity. This article examines the 2024 CPI results for Central American countries, revealing a regional landscape characterized by structural stagnation and persistently critically low scores. Through a comparative analysis, it identifies key factors driving this trend, including the weakening of judicial independence, state capture by economic and political elites, and systemic impunity. Although Costa Rica retains a relative regional lead, it faces growing pressures, w...

  Legitimacy Facades: Mechanisms, Challenges, and Estimates of Money Laundering in Central America With a Focus on Guatemala Published in the Actualidad Centroamericana Magazine of ICAP Costa Rica Dr. Jesse Josué De León In Guatemala and throughout Central America, money laundering has evolved into sophisticated forms that are camouflaged as legitimate economic activity. Two recurring patterns—commercial establishments with little customer traffic in high-end locations and real estate projects declared “sold out” during the presale phase—illustrate how illicit capital is integrated into the financial system through fictitious accounting operations. This article analyzes the technical mechanisms behind these strategies, the detection instruments employed by the Special Verification Intendancy (IVE), and the institutional barriers that hinder effective enforcement. It argues that, beyond the technical capabilities of financial intelligence units, the bottleneck lies in weaknesses wi...