Andean Group - January 2012 (ISSN 1741-4466)

Colombia loses billions of pesos to corrupt practices every year, but the Col$3.93m (US$2,214) payment to Jorge Elías González Vázquez, a self-proclaimed shaman (or “priest” as he likes to put it in Spanish), to ensure it didn’t rain during the Sub-20 FIFA world cup last year, has taken over-spending to a whole new level. According to the office of Bogotá’s comptroller general, over-spending during the tournament reached Col$1.9bn (US$1.02m). While González Vázquez’s fees pale in comparison, he attracted the attention of the media (rather than the highly-questioned contracts signed by the local administration) given public interest in his pseudo-scientific ability to influence electromagnetic fields to prevent rains (known as Radiesthisia), his previous hiring for other official events and his rate of success.

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