"La plata llega sola" [The money arrives on its own]: reflections on corruption trends in Peru

Corruption is a global problem that feeds on national and local opportunities. Instead of the prevailing attempts to reduce anti-corruption strategies to the protection of business interests, corruption needs to be seen as a sociopolitical relation that emanates from the convergence between more immediate circumstances and long-term institutional tendencies. Corruption is, therefore, a phenomenon with synchronic and diachronic dimensions. The complexity of corruption is examined in relation to the organization of Peruvian state and society, in particular considering the recent liberalization reforms and investments in the water industry of Lima. The Peruvian case study shows how corruption becomes a productive force from the perspective of conservative elites and the maintenance of political hegemony