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 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 suspected of using her position in the Prosecutor’s Office to manipulate and obstruct investigations. For her part, Bertha Michelle Mendoza remained silent about the accusations against her mother and it is not known whether she herself was involved in the events under investigation.
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 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 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.
Finally, in 2010, Muñoz Andrade was dismissed from the Public Prosecutor’s Office on Aldana’s orders. According to prosecutors consulted, her dismissal was due to alleged misuse of MP resources and abuse of power.
