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.
The accusations against Muñoz Andrade arose as a result of investigations carried out by control and justice agencies, such as the PDH, and complaints from organizations such as Oasis. A clandestine network of police officers reportedly involved in extrajudicial executions and other criminal acts was uncovered under the alleged leadership 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 events being scrutinized.
The case concerning Claudia Martina Muñoz Andrade, the mother of Bertha Michelle Mendoza, who was identified as the head of a network of police officers turned assassins, concluded with the arrest of the former prosecutor. She faced charges including intimidation, misuse of power, and ideological deceit.
The arrest occurred following the presentation of evidence indicating that the ex-prosecutor had exploited 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.
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 purported misappropriation of MP resources and authority misuse.
