2.5 - Prof. José Atiles Osoria - COVID-19, Corruption and Social Inequality in Puerto Rico

In this episode we talk to Prof. José Atiles Osoria from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Prof. Atiles Osoria presents a nuanced analysis of corruption and anti-corruption policies in Puerto Rico amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. He argues that these policies, rather than mitigating corruption, have exacerbated both corrupt practices and social inequalities. Drawing on historical antecedents rooted in U.S. colonization, he shows how these policies operate within a complex framework of external impositions, complicating Puerto Rico's efforts to combat not only corruption but also pressing emergencies like COVID-19. Furthermore, we explore the paradoxical role of technology, which, instead of curtailing corruption, has facilitated the rise of corrupt industries under the guise of fighting corruption. This episode offers an in-depth look at the challenges of corruption and social inequality, embedded in a larger historical and technological context.