While many Latin American countries have benefited from democratization and economic reforms, political corruption remains a serious threat to the sustainability of democracy in the region.

Given the importance of effective political finance systems in anti-corruption efforts, a comparative overview is provided using the available data on 2018 political finance regulations in Latin America provided by International IDEA’s Political Finance Database.

This policy paper:

• Highlights that while political finance legislative frameworks in Latin America are relatively comprehensive, ensuring their implementation continues to be a challenge.
• Makes the point that the misuse of public resources, abuse of public office for private gain and unregulated money in politics are not only consequences of institutional weaknesses; they are also linked to public attitude and value systems.
• Analyses political finance regulatory trends in Latin American countries and identifies key challenges that could undermine the integrity of political finance in the region.
• Provides practical policy recommendations for key stakeholders to encourage better governance and improve the transparency and accountability of political finance systems in Latin America.

Similar analysis is also available for Africa, Asia and Central and Eastern Europe.