The 10 Most Corrupt Countries In The World

 

The world responded to corruption like never before in 2011 as regimes throughout the Mid-East fell and citizens demanded greater rights.

But the response did little to change the number of corrupt countries occupying the map.

This year's gold-standard of corruption studies, the Corrupt Perceptions Index, has just been released.

It assesses the level of corruption in the countries of the world on a scale of 1 to 10 from most corrupt — to the least.

The following slides show the 10 most corrupt countries and what allows them the dark distinction.

#10 Venezuela's corruption began with the discovery of oil

Venezuela ranks 172 out of 182 countries and earned a score of 1.9 out of 10.

The discovery of mass amounts of oil in Venezuela hastened its slide into corruption and by the 1970s the petroleum sucked from the ground was called "the Devil's excrement" by Venezuelans.

Hugo Chavez's election to president in 1999 did nothing to slow the corruption. His Fifth Republic Movement is accused of cronyism, political patronage, and corruption just like the movement his party promised to replace.

Even the Venezuelan police force is recognized for its drastic levels of corruption.

#9 Haiti is plagued by impenetrable bureaucracy

Haiti ranks 175 out of 182 countries and earned a score of 1.8 out of 10.

The immobilizing amount of "red tape" in the Haitian legal system enables local politicians and bureaucrats to gain influence and and direct public outcomes for financial gain.

The result has debilitated Haitian society and placed the country consistently at the top of the corruption list.

The $2 billion that came into the country following the 2010 earthquake did little to alleviate corruption and meandering bureaucracy.

#8 Iraq goes out of its way to silence whistleblowers

Iraq ranks 175 out of 182 countries and earned a score of 1.8 out of 10.

The Iraq government is so entrenched in its rampant pattern of corruption since the fall of Saddam Hussein that it removes officials who try to prosecute racketeers.

Members of the government also intimidate politicians and journalists who support whistleblowers.

As recently as September 2011 a renown Iraqi journalist was murdered in his home for leading anti-government protests.

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