Respect is earned by fulfilling the word pledged
These days, the word sovereignty is heard very often. We really like to wrap ourselves in its meaning, associating it with the colors of the flag and the names of the great heroes of the independence struggle of 1811. We are won over by patriotic solemnity, we become intolerant and we condemn foreign interference. We don’t like strangers poking around in our internal affairs, labeling and stigmatizing us. It is then that, resorting to the old vice of self-indulgence, we take refuge in the idea that dirty laundry is washed at home.
Perhaps this aphorism is still effective in the family compound, but it no longer applies in the life of nations. Before making proclamations of dignity and singing the anthem, we must remember that Paraguay is a member of a large number of international organizations and a signatory to conventions, treaties and accords that force us to adopt behaviors of general validity and that we have accepted voluntarily. Behind each document is the word committed by the Paraguayan State through its legitimate representatives.
These commitments are taken very seriously by the community of sovereign nations, especially with regard to the fight against corruption. Two of them have global reach. The first is the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption, signed in 1996 and ratified by Law 977 of the same year. The second is the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, signed in 2003 and ratified by Law 2535 of 2005. Both documents leave no room for doubt as to the obligation assumed by each signatory to take a serious look at corruption, urging each member country to combat it decisively and courageously in all its forms.
The vast majority of nations act in accordance with the obligations assumed, reserving the right to admit or not admit persons suspected of corruption, especially if they are or have been in public office. This closing mechanism is activated when suspects operate in financial systems to launder assets and relocate investments of spurious origin.
Before we use the word sovereignty so liberally, let’s first see what we are doing to honor it. Respect is earned by fulfilling the word pledged.
And in the fight against corruption, we are far from being even halfway good.
