2nd Research Forum session of the academic year 2024-2025

Date: Thursday, december 19th, 2024

Time:  12pm 1:30pm

Room: 23S05, Mercè Rodoreda Auditorium. Campus Ciutadella

Chair: Milena Ang. Universitat Pompeu Fabra

Host: Toni Rodon

Presentation - Prosecution, control, and accountability in backsliding democracies

Abstract

In this talk, Professor Ang will challenge the conventional wisdom that democratization automatically leads to increased accountability for corrupt elites. Using Mexico as a case study, a country notorious for corruption among government officials, she will demonstrate that while democratization increased the number of prosecutions, these were not necessarily driven by increased oversight or genuine concerns about corruption. Instead, prosecutions appear to be politically motivated, revealing the potential for the misuse of the justice system even in democratic contexts. The talk will explore the implications of these findings for understanding the complex relationship between democracy and accountability, as well as the challenges of achieving genuine justice in post-authoritarian societies.

About the Speaker

Milena Ang is an Assistant Professor at Universitat Pompeu Fabra. She studies the causes and consequences of corruption prosecution, as well as the criminal justice systems of recently transitioned countries. She has also worked on race, gender, and incarceration in Mexico. Milena holds a BA from CIDE, Mexico city, and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.