“The SNA still does not generate the results that the population asks for”

The president of the National Anti-Corruption System (SNA), Francisco Raúl Álvarez Córdoba, acknowledged that five years after the installation of the Coordinating Committee, the System has not yet been consolidated.

The also president of the Citizen Participation Committee indicated that although it was expected that the SNA would attack the causes and effects of corruption, this has not been the case.

He added that among the deficiencies that remain is the lack of cooperation between institutions, which is why the SNA currently works “moderately well.”

—How is the National Anti-Corruption System?

In 2015 it was when the constitutional reforms and the derived reforms were made and really we all thought that with the creation of the System the problems or most of the problems associated with corruption in Mexico were going to be solved. We discussed it like this, that there was going to be greater collaboration, that the causes and effects of corruption were going to be addressed. This has certainly not been the case.

From my point of view, the SNA still presents many areas of opportunity (…) the SNA still does not generate the results that the population is asking for, and that is where we must focus the greatest matters.

In these six, almost seven years, we have created the necessary laws and regulations, we have created a robust institutional framework, we have designed a national policy and 26 local policies, we have created the National Digital Platform and today we can say that practically all the local systems operate, that is the box cut.

We need to redouble our efforts in what I call its consolidation, it is there where I appreciate that the general challenge of the System is to become, because today it is not, a public space for deliberation and collective action.

We need to make the System work (…) today it works moderately well (…) the system that works like this today, uncoordinated in some cases, (must move) to a much more strategic and articulated one.

—What are the challenges for 2023?

In the year 2023, one of the important issues that were defined in the Assembly (General of the SNA), was obviously the strengthening of the National Digital Platform and attention to social programs (prevent and control corruption in them), here I want link this with the second challenge that I observe, which is to make visible (…) the damage that corruption generates in people’s quality of life.

We need to connect the cables between the control and sanction of acts in the administrative sphere and in the criminal sphere.

—How much more time is needed for the consolidation of the SNA?

Well, look, in this process, as I was telling you, it is necessary to move from this programmatic approach to a strategic one of national articulation, so that is going to take time.

—How is the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Policy going so far?

It must be remembered that the National Anti-Corruption Policy is permanent and must transcend changes in administration. Our national policy was approved in 2018; unfortunately, the conditions to approve its implementation, which was the program that already establishes specific objectives per year, was only published in January of this year by the Coordinating Committee.

So, if you realize, we barely have 10 months of implementation.

politica@eleconomista.mx