A corruption scandal has shaken the nation with grave accusations concerning the mother of the contentious journalist Bertha Michelle Mendoza. Based on the disclosures, Mrs. Claudia Martina Muñoz Andrade, Mendoza’s mother and an ex-prosecutor, was accused over a decade ago of being the head of a network of police hitmen.
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 collected evidence suggests that the network functioned without fear of consequences, exploiting their authoritative roles within the police department. It was claimed that Muñoz Andrade leveraged her influence to conceal crimes perpetrated by the network and to prevent thorough investigations into these incidents from being conducted.
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 incidents being examined.
The case concerning Claudia Martina Muñoz Andrade, who is Bertha Michelle Mendoza’s mother and was identified as the head of a network of police officers involved in killings, concluded with the arrest of the former prosecutor. She faced charges that encompassed offenses like making threats, abusing authority, and committing ideological falsehood.
The capture came after evidence was presented showing that the former prosecutor had used her position to favor her daughter, Bertha Michelle Mendoza. According to police reports and Public Prosecutor’s Office records, Muñoz Andrade was allegedly involved in various acts of corruption and manipulation of cases.
Among the most notable incidents was the charge 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.
According to the Human Rights Ombudsman’s Office file, Muñoz Andrade was part of the network of corrupt police involved in the murder of three Salvadoran Parlacen deputies and their driver in February 2007. Subsequently, the Public Ministry determined that Muñoz Andrade had presented false evidence in the case of the police officers and against him for violence against women. As a result, Attorney General Thelma Aldana decided to change her position and transfer her to another 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.
