Abstract
The purpose of this chapter is to demonstrate the impact of corruption on the loss of social cohesion in Colombia. To this end, a tour is made throughout some events that have meant economic and social costs for the country and that have had a negative impact on the credibility of institutions, on the increase of inequality and poverty and on the gradual configuration of an anomic state. Likewise, this chapter deals with the ethical implications of corrupt practices, as well as with the way in which a proper ethical education can contribute to the restoration of trust and the strengthening of the social fabric. It is concluded, among other aspects, that corruption, particularly in Colombia, has fragmented the social fabric and has contributed to worsening poverty rates, hunger, lack of employment, and the low levels of both education and health.
TopCorruption In Colombia. Some Cases
This section takes a tour throughout the facts of some of the most relevant cases of corruption that occurred in the country in recent years. These facts have generated a negative impact on the legitimacy and governability of the country, have contributed to the increase in social gaps and the weakening of the public sector and have had a negative impact on employment, education, and health. The selection was based on all acts of corruption that were reported to the General Attorney’s Office in Colombia between 2018 and 2022 and that after investigating the case, actors were found guilty, and sentence was given (Table 1).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Corruption: This refers to dishonest practices of individuals with the intention of obtaining personal or third-party benefits.
Trust: This refers to the human condition under which the other is recognized as suitable to act in accordance with ethical principles.
Social Cohesion: This indicates the mutual integration, interaction, and cooperation of the members of a community. It is based on consistent democratic values. It allows to assess how solid a state is in relation to social order and its governance.
Social Fabric: This refers to the degree of social cohesion that exists in a country. It is characterized by the coexistence of imaginaries and visions of the world, that identify and unite, in bonds of solidarity, a certain community around culture, politics, economics and religion.
Citizenship: This refers to the responsible exercise of rights and duties that allow citizens to participate in the political and social life of a country, based on the recognition, defense and respect of both individual and collective freedoms.
Ethics: This is the set of moral rules that govern human behavior. It also deals with the coherence in decision-making and actions aimed at what is good, right, fair, and virtuous.
Institutionality: This is proper to the rule of law and fundamentally deals with the political and administrative exercise that is practiced by different agencies and organizations of the State for its proper functioning.
Anomie: This alludes to the inability of the State to provide welfare to its citizens.