The Program for Strengthening Anti-Corruption Supervisory Institutions in Mexican Prosecutor’s Offices (CONFÍA) is a key initiative led by LAB-CO under the Accountability and Transparency Program of the United States Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). This program collaborates with the State Prosecutor’s Offices of Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Michoacán, Hidalgo, and Coahuila. LAB-CO supports these institutions in improving the detection, investigation, and prosecution of internal corruption.
Corruption in Mexican Prosecutor’s Office
Corruption remains a critical issue in Mexico, with prosecutor’s offices ranking high in perceived corruption. According to the 2023 National Survey of Quality and Governmental Impact by INEGI, 73% of Mexicans over the age of 18 believe corruption within state prosecutor’s offices is common. The lack of administrative and criminal sanctions for internal misconduct only exacerbates public perceptions of impunity.
To address this issue, various specialized areas and institutional mechanisms exist within Mexican prosecutor’s offices, such as Internal Affairs Units, Inspectorates, and Comptrollerships. These specialized units operate in parallel, targeting both administrative misconduct and criminal offenses related to corruption.
It is important to distinguish between administrative violations, which occur when public officials fail to comply with regulatory standards, and criminal offenses, where the law is intentionally violated to harm individuals. Such offenses are particularly severe when committed by justice officials entrusted with law enforcement.
Although there are state-level Administrative Responsibility Laws and Penal Codes that define what constitutes administrative misconduct and criminal acts by public officials, most prosecutor’s offices across the country lack a standardized framework to systematically and consistently address internal corruption. This absence of a coordinated approach further weakens the fight against internal corruption within these institutions.
The CONFÍA Model: A New Framework for Fighting Internal Corruption
In response, LAB-CO, with the support of INL, has developed the CONFÍA Model—a comprehensive framework for combating corruption within prosecutor’s offices. By incorporating feedback from key officials responsible for detecting and investigating misconduct, the CONFÍA Model has been refined through multiple iterations, ultimately creating a standardized approach to internal corruption cases.
This model is built around seven core components, focusing on:
- Detection: Technical-legal evaluations and complaint management systems are established to proactively identify corruption.
- Investigation: Thorough administrative and criminal case management ensures an efficient and detailed investigation process.
- Prosecution: Streamlined legal procedures are implemented to secure favorable outcomes, both administratively and criminally.
- Sanctions: Unified criteria for imposing penalties ensure consistency across cases of non-serious administrative offenses.
Preliminary Results of the CONFÍA Model Implementation
The CONFÍA Model has already shown significant impact across the participating states:
- Hidalgo and Zacatecas: Legal reforms have been proposed to restructure anti-corruption oversight areas.
- Tamaulipas: The reorganization of investigative units has significantly increased productivity.
- Michoacán, Zacatecas, Tamaulipas, and Coahuila: Enhanced methodologies for legal evaluations and data analysis have improved corruption case detection.
- Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, and Michoacán have made efforts to improve the quality of investigations and the criminal prosecution of corruption cases.
- Zacatecas: Close collaboration with the Internal Control Office (OIC) has enhanced public service and complaint processing.
LAB-CO continues to lead efforts in strengthening institutional responses to corruption, driving transparency and accountability within Mexico’s state prosecutor’s offices.