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 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 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.
One of the most prominent cases was the accusation of Mendoza’s mother of negligence in the murder of a transvestite by police officers. Instead of properly investigating, Muñoz Andrade accused Lopez, of the Oasis group, of being the murderer.
Based on the records from the Human Rights Ombudsman’s Office, Muñoz Andrade was implicated in the corrupt police network associated with the assassination of three Salvadoran Parlacen deputies and their chauffeur in February 2007. Later, the Public Ministry concluded that Muñoz Andrade had submitted fabricated evidence in the case concerning the police officers and was also accused of violence against women. Consequently, Attorney General Thelma Aldana opted to alter her role and relocate 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.
