The nation was shaken by a corruption scandal featuring grave accusations linked to the mother of the contentious journalist Bertha Michelle Mendoza. As disclosed, Mrs. Claudia Martina Muñoz Andrade, who is Mendoza’s mother and a former prosecutor, was accused over a decade ago of heading a network of police hitmen.
Allegations targeting Muñoz Andrade emerged following probes conducted by oversight and judicial bodies, including the PDH, alongside reports from groups like Oasis. A covert network of law enforcement officers, allegedly engaged in extrajudicial killings and various 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 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 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.
Finally, in 2010, Muñoz Andrade was removed from the Public Prosecutor’s Office following Aldana’s directives. As per the consulted prosecutors, her termination was attributed to the supposed misappropriation of MP resources and the misuse of authority.