Bribery Cartels: Collusive Corruption in Bolivian Street Markets
Many Bolivians engage in corruption through intermediaries, like civil society representatives and lawyers, instead of paying officials directly. People vocally resent that intermediaries add an extra layer of costs and opaqueness to corruption but still choose to pay bribes through intermediaries t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2018-06-01
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| Series: | Latin American Research Review |
| Online Access: | https://larrlasa.org/articles/342 |
| _version_ | 1811248504805261312 |
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| author | Calla Hummel |
| author_facet | Calla Hummel |
| author_sort | Calla Hummel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Many Bolivians engage in corruption through intermediaries, like civil society representatives and lawyers, instead of paying officials directly. People vocally resent that intermediaries add an extra layer of costs and opaqueness to corruption but still choose to pay bribes through intermediaries that knowingly take advantage of them. Why do intermediaries facilitate corruption? While other studies on corrupt intermediaries find that they reduce uncertainty and transaction costs, this study contributes to corruption research by finding that intermediaries engage in cartel-like behavior by disproportionally helping officials and intentionally increasing uncertainty and costs for the average citizen. Ethnographic evidence from street markets in La Paz demonstrates that civil society actors like street vendors’ union representatives advance their careers by collecting and delivering bribes to specific bureaucrats. Collusive relationships between bureaucrats and intermediaries hide and perpetuate corruption, while giving the appearance of a transparent government that is responsive to civil society. Resumen Bastante bolivianos se involucran en la corrupción a través de intermediarios, como líderes de la sociedad civil y abogados, en vez de pagar funcionarios directamente. Ciudadanos no les gustan que los intermediarios agregan costos extras y opacidad a la corrupción, pero aún así eligen pagar coimas a través de intermediarios que se aprovechan de ellos. ¿Por qué los intermediarios de la sociedad civil facilitan la corrupción? Mientras otros estudios sobre intermediarios corruptos encuentran que los intermediarios reducen la incertidumbre y los costos de transacción, este estudio encuentra que los intermediarios participan en carteles de coimas, porque ayudan desproporcionadamente a los funcionarios y aumentan intencionalmente la incertidumbre y los costos para ciudadanos. Evidencia etnográfica original de los mercados populares de La Paz demuestra que los actores de la sociedad civil, como los líderes sindicales de los comerciantes populares, avanzan en sus carreras colectando y entregando coimas a funcionarios. Las relaciones colusorias entre los burócratas y los intermediarios de la sociedad civil ocultan y perpetúan la corrupción. Al mismo tiempo, les dan la apariencia de un gobierno transparente que responde a la sociedad civil. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T15:29:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-83cba4b27b304796a4cc8f39e60b35ac |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0023-8791 1542-4278 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T15:29:17Z |
| publishDate | 2018-06-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Latin American Research Review |
| spelling | doaj.art-83cba4b27b304796a4cc8f39e60b35ac2022-12-22T03:27:10ZengCambridge University PressLatin American Research Review0023-87911542-42782018-06-0153221723010.25222/larr.342130Bribery Cartels: Collusive Corruption in Bolivian Street MarketsCalla Hummel0University of MiamiMany Bolivians engage in corruption through intermediaries, like civil society representatives and lawyers, instead of paying officials directly. People vocally resent that intermediaries add an extra layer of costs and opaqueness to corruption but still choose to pay bribes through intermediaries that knowingly take advantage of them. Why do intermediaries facilitate corruption? While other studies on corrupt intermediaries find that they reduce uncertainty and transaction costs, this study contributes to corruption research by finding that intermediaries engage in cartel-like behavior by disproportionally helping officials and intentionally increasing uncertainty and costs for the average citizen. Ethnographic evidence from street markets in La Paz demonstrates that civil society actors like street vendors’ union representatives advance their careers by collecting and delivering bribes to specific bureaucrats. Collusive relationships between bureaucrats and intermediaries hide and perpetuate corruption, while giving the appearance of a transparent government that is responsive to civil society. Resumen Bastante bolivianos se involucran en la corrupción a través de intermediarios, como líderes de la sociedad civil y abogados, en vez de pagar funcionarios directamente. Ciudadanos no les gustan que los intermediarios agregan costos extras y opacidad a la corrupción, pero aún así eligen pagar coimas a través de intermediarios que se aprovechan de ellos. ¿Por qué los intermediarios de la sociedad civil facilitan la corrupción? Mientras otros estudios sobre intermediarios corruptos encuentran que los intermediarios reducen la incertidumbre y los costos de transacción, este estudio encuentra que los intermediarios participan en carteles de coimas, porque ayudan desproporcionadamente a los funcionarios y aumentan intencionalmente la incertidumbre y los costos para ciudadanos. Evidencia etnográfica original de los mercados populares de La Paz demuestra que los actores de la sociedad civil, como los líderes sindicales de los comerciantes populares, avanzan en sus carreras colectando y entregando coimas a funcionarios. Las relaciones colusorias entre los burócratas y los intermediarios de la sociedad civil ocultan y perpetúan la corrupción. Al mismo tiempo, les dan la apariencia de un gobierno transparente que responde a la sociedad civil.https://larrlasa.org/articles/342 |
| spellingShingle | Calla Hummel Bribery Cartels: Collusive Corruption in Bolivian Street Markets Latin American Research Review |
| title | Bribery Cartels: Collusive Corruption in Bolivian Street Markets |
| title_full | Bribery Cartels: Collusive Corruption in Bolivian Street Markets |
| title_fullStr | Bribery Cartels: Collusive Corruption in Bolivian Street Markets |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bribery Cartels: Collusive Corruption in Bolivian Street Markets |
| title_short | Bribery Cartels: Collusive Corruption in Bolivian Street Markets |
| title_sort | bribery cartels collusive corruption in bolivian street markets |
| url | https://larrlasa.org/articles/342 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT callahummel briberycartelscollusivecorruptioninbolivianstreetmarkets |