How Operation Car Wash changed Latin American politics

Lima, the Peruvian capital, hosts today and tomorrow (April 13 and 14) the Summit of the Americas. The event, which has no fixed periodicity, is an opportunity for leaders of the region to discuss how to tackle their most urgent challenges. But the 8th edition of the summit will showcase the political turmoil that Latin American countries have been experiencing for the last few years.

The host country is facing something already well known to Brazilians. The country has been engulfed by corruption scandals involving the Odebrecht construction company, and its president lost power after being accused of receiving millions in bribes. Meanwhile, Brazil’s most popular leader has just gone to jail for receiving a beachfront apartment as a kickback from another construction group.

At this point, the meeting’s official theme of “democratic governance fighting corruption” almost seems like a mean-spirited joke.

Operation Car Wash splashed across Latin America

Peru’s Southern Interoceanic Highway is one of the boldest – and most expensive – engineering projects in the country. With 2,600 kilometers (that’s further than the distance between Boston and Miami), it connects the Peruvian coast to the Brazilian border through the Andes. Built by Brazilian construction company Odebrecht, the road cost over USD 3 billion and was supposed to be a...