ABSTRACT
For the nations of Latin America, corruption is and will remain the largest political and economic concern. With few exceptions, it is deeply entrenched and reaches into both politics and business and the relations between them. Among the citizens of the continent, the common perception is that a significant level of ethical failures exist in Latin American business activity, albeit with relevant differences among distinct countries. Is there any basis for this perception? Within too many nations there is a corruption of the public political sphere, sometimes involving private or corporate actions. The media tend to focus on this sort of public corruption, especially since the ethical violations committed between and among private individuals, firms, and corporations are often relegated to less important pages in the print media.
