Mexico launches national transparency website to combat corruption

World Today

Mexico launches national transparency website to combat corruption

Mexico has long been a hotbed of corruption, but it is trying to change that by launching a national transparency website.

Citizens with internet access can obtain available government data and request information that isn’t available.

But the website has many glitches. CCTV’s Martin Markovits has more.

In Mexico, the move towards a more direct digital democracy is getting a push.

Last month, a new government website was launched that allows any citizen to request data from more than 8,000 government and business entities.

It includes anything from campaign finances to the user’s personal information.

This digital access to information comes after the Mexican government passed the General Law on Transparency, in hopes of guaranteeing the fundamental right to access public data.

One of the functions of the transparency law was to fight corruption.

“The website was an excellent example of things that are made by the government. It was badly designed, the screen didn’t work. It shows that the public sector is lagging far behind.” said Catalina Demidchuk, the Coordinator of Codeando Mexico.

The government is now reverting back to their old portal but activists believe these technical issues are undermining the government’s intentions to shine a greater light on federal activities.

And the problems in opening the data portal are causing many to question whether the government is really that committed to having an open digital society.