Socio-Environmental Corruption in Latin America and the Caribbean: Governance Challenges in the Context of Climate Crisis and Impunity

Abstract

Socio-environmental corruption in Latin America and the Caribbean represents a critical barrier to effective environmental governance and the enforcement of socio-environmental rights. This article focuses on how corruption intersects with climate vulnerability, disaster response, and institutional fragility, exacerbating socio-environmental injustices across the region. We argue that impunity, state capture, and the commodification of nature—often driven by economic interest and facilitated by transnational actors—undermine public trust, hinder accountability, and reproduce extractivist development models. Drawing on case studies and recent data, we examine the limitations of governmental responses, the role of civil society, and the transformative potential of ecological citizenship.