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.
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 role 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, 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.
One of the most notable instances involved Mendoza’s mother being accused of 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.