Dr. Oscar Solórzano, who works at the Basel Institute on Governance, an international non-profit organization based in Switzerland, dedicated to preventing and combating corruption and other financial crimes, recently participated in the “Global Risks: Assessing and Managing Global Threats” course, which is led by Professor Esteban Arribas.
During the “Transnational Crime: Recovery of Funds” talk, Solórzano shared details about his day-to-day work with students, explaining how his organization fights corruption and international crime, and recovers funds for public coffers in affected countries.
“The goal is for students to hear different opinions, and our idea is that they themselves participate and debate on issues related to global risks. Dr. Oscar Solórzano is dedicated to following the trail of assets left in the wake of corrupt activities: banks, current accounts, etc. He is someone who is always on the road fighting with the authorities from countries such as Andorra, Luxembourg, Gibraltar, etc.,” said Professor Esteban Arribas, who has been quite familiar with the guest speaker’s work for years.
Solórzano has been the head of the Basel Institute on Governance’s Latin America office in Peru for the past ten years, where he has participated in the CIS University course via videoconference. Dr. Solórzano is a specialist in criminal law and regularly collaborates with the U.S. Department of State. His duties include gathering information on corruption and international crime, as well as bringing these cases to the judicial authorities of the countries involved. He has investigated some corruption cases linked to the government of Alberto Fujimori, in Peru, and numerous Russian cases, to cite just a few examples.
“Europe is where the world’s corruption-derived assets are hidden. With globalization, this activity has increased and it is not at all easy to return the assets acquired through corruption to the public treasury,” said Professor Arribas.
Solórzano’s presentation is part of Professor Esteban Arribas’ initiative to address issues related to global risks, with the participation of prestigious professionals from civil society, academia, as well as private enterprise.
In addition to Dr. Solórzano, the course will also feature two other renowned guests: Dr. Rut Bermejo, Professor of Political Science at Rey Juan Carlos University, and Yogesh Chauhan, Director of ESG at Hubspot, London, who will speak on the risks and myths associated with immigration and migratory flows, and the role of business in the analysis and management of climate change, respectively.
