Mario Cifuentes, Guatemala
MPA, Class of 2017
Intern, Asociación Civil por la Igualdad y la Justicia, Buenos Aires
I am interning at the Asociación Civil por la Igualdad y la Justicia in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Its goals are to defend the rights of the most vulnerable groups of the country and to strengthen democracy in Argentina. I am helping the Strengthening of Democratic Institutions team with the Corruption Causes Observatory. This online site provides information about judiciary cases related to corruption, monitors the activity of judges, and is a resource for anyone interested in corruption and irregularities in the judicial process. I have helped to develop some infographics and other visual elements for the site. I have also prepared a report on a game that they could add to the website.
There are so many changes going on in Argentina right now. You can really feel the social frictions of a crisis period. Citizens and the media talk all day long about the political and economic environment. The office where I am working is on Avenida de Mayo, the street that connects the National Palace and the Congress, where demonstrations often take place.
During my internship I have learned about the ways that corruption manifests itself and how it can be fostered by a country's legal system. I now also have a much deeper understanding of what is involved in fighting corruption and how a transparency policy can be used as a government propaganda tool. Most of my coworkers are lawyers and so I have also become more knowledgeable about how a judicial case proceeds through the court system.
The best thing about this internship though has been the chance to collaborate with friends and colleagues. For example, I consulted my classmate Nicholas Sertich, who is interning at Games for Change in New York City, to get some ideas about creating a didactic game on corruption.
Thanks to this internship, I now have a much clearer idea of what I want to do. My goal after I graduate is to work at the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), which has become very active in fighting corruption at the public administration level in Guatemala. I know I need to get some more legal experience, but I feel that I have a lot to contribute to an organization like CiCIG.
It has been great to be back in Latin America, and to be able to put into practice some of the things I learned last year, mostly in economics and transparency. Buenos Aires is a great city, home to almost 9 million people. The city neighborhoods have different personalities, nice parks, interesting museums, and a vibrant cultural life. I spend most of my time exploring the city, meeting my friends and travelling a bit around the country. The distances here are huge, but one never gets bored in Buenos Aires because there is so much to do.
Read more student internship profiles here.