Corruption Scandal Sweeping Latin America

Guest: Shannon K. O'Neil, Nelson and David Rockefeller Senior Fellow for Latin America Studies, Director of the Civil Society, Markets, and Democracy Program, Council on Foreign Relations. A massive bribery scandal has broken out in Latin America. It involves a giant construction company not well-known in the United States. But in Brazil, where the company is based – and across Latin America, really – this company, called Odebrecht – is a major player in large construction projects like bridges, office towers and stadiums. The company has admitted to paying nearly 800-million dollars in bribes to win lucrative construction contracts in 12 different countries. The sordid details of it all are still emerging, and as they do, government officials and politicians across Latin America are being outed as bribe-takers.