Guatemala's corruption reaches all-time high: Can a comedian save them?

Morales calls for government officials probed for any ties to corrupt dealings, should America do the same?

The Guatemalan government has come under fire yet again with several counts of corruption. In an attempt to combat the increasingly untrustworthy government, comedian and former actor Jimmy Morales quickly went from zero to hero in a landslide victory with 70 percent of the vote for president-elect.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Morales was a television comedian who quit his 14-year stint on his TV Show last year to pursue the presidency. He registered in opinion poles and quickly scaled the ladder to president-elect following the discovery of the then-leading candidate's involvement in nefarious dealings.

Morales' campaign slogan simply stated, "Neither corrupt nor a thief" and caught on quickly. Morales said, "I have been given a mandate, a mandate to clean up corruption that has eaten at this country."

Despite his lack of experience, his campaign slogan, "Neither corrupt nor a thief," caught on quickly. Polls showed corruption as the country's main concern and one university student, Samuel Ruiz, said, "We need a change and I think Jimmy can deliver. Someone new deserves a chance."

Political analyst and former foreign minister Edgar Gutierrez, said, "Jimmy has the enormous challenge of delivering the anti-corruption agenda many Guatemalans are demanding."

The International Transparency ranks Guatemala 115 out of 175 countries in the corruption perceptions index. Scandals across Guatemala's government officials, bankers, political party leaders and even the head of the social-security institute were charged in separate corruption allegations with no one willing to admit their guilt.

Morales' National Convergence Front Party was founded by veterans of the 36-year civil war that ended just under twenty years ago, leading some to believe Morales "is an honest man, but the people he has behind are all corrupt. He is a puppet of the army."

Despite accusations, Morales says he is his own man and Lt. Col. Edgar Ovalle, a member of the party's executive committee, claims he is "the only former top official who remains at the party. Jimmy is in charge and has no compromise with any interest group."

Former defense minister and security expert Cecilio Leiva simply said, "I don't think Jimmy is a puppet of the army. But as president, some vets are likely to knock on the door to ask for government positions and favors. That's a risk."

The United States falls at number 17 on the International Transparency corruption perceptions index, with a score of 74 on a scale where 0 is "highly corrupt" and 100 is "very clean." The score is the most recent, taken in 2014, and leans toward "very clean" despite the Center for Public Integrity's report of "330 separate ethics, transparency and accountability metrics in each [U.S.] state" that shows over 650 government employees accepted gifts from vendors.

The FBI also released astonishing information concerning "wasteful spending, embezzlement and convictions for public corruption and ties to organized crime." 

 Perhaps America should take a stand and do some research to determine whether United States government officials should also be held accountable. A good example of America not caring is Hillary Clinton's email and Benghazi scandals, yet she is the forerunner of all the Democratic party presidential candidates. 

What do you think? Is Morales taking a step in the right direction by introducing government accountability? Is America doing enough? Should the United States push for a better system? Let us know in the comments below.

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