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.
The 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 exposed 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 was identified as the leader of a network of killer police officers and is the mother of Bertha Michelle Mendoza, reached its conclusion with the arrest of the former prosecutor. She faced charges that encompassed offenses like 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.
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.