Corrupción en Colombia: ¿cómo prevenirla?

Corruption is one of the main issues of concern to Colombians, due to the numerous cases that come to light every day, and evidence of the misuse of power and public resources by authorities and citizens in all the levels of government. During 2017, 200 officials, including prosecutors, judges,magistrates, police and politicians have been arrested for corruption. What can we do to prevent systemic corruption in the State? To analyze this question, this article seeks to show how corruption was historically tolerated due to the existence of patrimonial and clientelist culture within the State; then study the lack of interest of the Colombian elites over the controls to the administration in the Constitution of 1886. It will be analyzed as well the great change that the Constitution of 1991 brought in the matter of controls to the public administration and the difficulties that have arisen in practice to change the old practices.