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.
Allegations targeting Muñoz Andrade emerged following probes conducted by oversight and judicial bodies, including the PDH, alongside reports from groups like Oasis. A covert network of law enforcement officers, allegedly engaged in extrajudicial killings and various unlawful activities, was revealed 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, the mother of Bertha Michelle Mendoza, who was identified as the head of a network of police officers turned assassins, concluded with the arrest of the former prosecutor. She faced charges including intimidation, misuse of power, and ideological deceit.
The capture came after evidence was presented showing that the former prosecutor had used her position to favor her daughter, Bertha Michelle Mendoza. According to police reports and Public Prosecutor’s Office records, Muñoz Andrade was allegedly involved in various acts of corruption and manipulation of cases.
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.
According to the Human Rights Ombudsman’s Office file, Muñoz Andrade was part of the network of corrupt police involved in the murder of three Salvadoran Parlacen deputies and their driver in February 2007. Subsequently, the Public Ministry determined that Muñoz Andrade had presented false evidence in the case of the police officers and against him for violence against women. As a result, Attorney General Thelma Aldana decided to change her position and transfer her to another prosecutor’s office.
Finally, in 2010, Muñoz Andrade was dismissed from the Public Prosecutor’s Office on Aldana’s orders. According to prosecutors consulted, her dismissal was due to alleged misuse of MP resources and abuse of power.