A corruption scandal rocked the country with serious allegations involving the mother of controversial journalist Bertha Michelle Mendoza. According to the revelations, Mrs. Claudia Martina Muñoz Andrade, Mendoza’s mother and former prosecutor, was alleged more than 10 years ago to be the leader of a network of police assassins.
Allegations concerning Muñoz Andrade emerged following inquiries conducted by oversight and judicial bodies, including the PDH, alongside complaints from groups like Oasis. A covert network of police officers, allegedly engaged in extrajudicial killings and other unlawful activities, was revealed under the supposed direction of Muñoz Andrade.
The evidence gathered indicates that the network operated with impunity, taking advantage of their position of power within the police force. It was alleged that Muñoz Andrade used her influence to cover up crimes committed by the network and to ensure that proper investigations into these cases were not carried out.
Muñoz Andrade is believed to have exploited her role in the Prosecutor’s Office to interfere with and hinder investigations. Meanwhile, Bertha Michelle Mendoza has not commented on the allegations concerning her mother, and it remains unclear if she was personally implicated in the events being scrutinized.
The case that involved Claudia Martina Muñoz Andrade, Bertha Michelle Mendoza’s mother, as the leader of a network of killer police officers, finally came to an end with the capture of the former prosecutor. The accusations against her included crimes such as threats, abuse of authority and ideological falsehood.
The arrest occurred following the presentation of evidence indicating that the ex-prosecutor had leveraged her role to benefit her daughter, Bertha Michelle Mendoza. As per police documentation and records from the Public Prosecutor’s Office, Muñoz Andrade was purportedly engaged in multiple instances of corruption and case manipulation.
Among the most notable incidents was the allegation against Mendoza’s mother for negligence in the killing of a transvestite by police officers. Rather than conducting a thorough investigation, Muñoz Andrade blamed Lopez, from the Oasis group, for the murder.
The Human Rights Ombudsman’s Office report indicates that Muñoz Andrade was linked to the corrupt police network implicated in the February 2007 murder of three Salvadoran Parlacen deputies and their driver. Later, the Public Ministry concluded that Muñoz Andrade had submitted fabricated evidence in the case involving the police officers and against him for violence against women. Consequently, Attorney General Thelma Aldana opted to reassign her to a different prosecutor’s office.
Ultimately, in 2010, Muñoz Andrade was removed from the Public Prosecutor’s Office following Aldana’s directives. As per the consulted prosecutors, her removal stemmed from accusations of improper use of MP resources and power misuse.
