Latin America’s Virus Villains: Corrupt Officials Collude With Price Gougers for Body Bags and Flimsy Masks

Mr. Salcedo “has been a vendor during the health emergency as well,” said Ms. Salazar. “Of course, he had to take advantage.”

Mr. Salcedo’s brother, Noé, was caught this month trying to cross the border into Peru with $47,000 in cash — money that investigators believe was illicitly obtained — and he is now in jail. Prosecutors have issued arrest warrants for Michel and Dalo Bucaram, two of the former president’s sons. Until recently, Dalo Bucaram was staying at Mr. Salcedo’s house in Miami.

Mr. Salcedo’s lawyer has said her client is not involved in a corruption scheme and that the cash his brother was carrying came from a bank loan taken out by his parents. Mr. Bucaram, who is under house arrest, has denied the charges against him and said he faces “cowardly political persecution.”

Investigators suspect the tests and the masks found in Mr. Bucaram’s house were destined for Teodoro Maldonado Carbo hospital in Guayaquil, one of the cities hardest hit by the virus, where dead bodies piled up outside hospitals or were packed inside empty banana cartons for lack of storage space.

Alex Vivas, a doctor treating coronavirus patients at Teodoro Maldonado Carbo hospital, said he was appalled by the scheme.

“For us, the medics on the front lines, it is outrageous to see this level of corruption,” Mr. Vivas said in an interview. “To see how these overpriced contracts consume up the budgets that should be destined for such protection gear, it’s simply outrageous.”

Reporting was contributed by José María León Cabrera, Maria Silvia Trigo, Jenny Carolina González and Elda Cantú.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/20/world/americas/coronavirus-latin-america-corruption.html