Impunidad y participación ciudadana en la lucha anticorrupción: una revisión sistemática

Abstract

The research analyzed how the perception of impunity affects citizen participation in anti-corruption initiatives, with a focus on the context of Peru and Latin America. A qualitative approach was used through a systematic review of the literature based on PRISMA 2020, which examined 20 studies published between 2019 and 2025 in databases such as SciELO, Scopus, and Dialnet. The results show that the perception of impunity has a paralyzing effect on citizens, discouraging them from reporting corruption and collaborating in anti-corruption projects because they consider them ineffective. This perception has multiple causes and stems from institutional deficiencies, the social normalization of corruption, the lack of protection for whistleblowers, the political co-optation of participatory spaces, and systemic violence against activists and journalists. It is concluded that citizen inaction does not represent apathy, but rather a logical response to a rule of law that is perceived as ineffective. This creates a vicious circle where impunity fuels mistrust and the absence of social oversight perpetuates corruption. Therefore, citizen participation is not a cause, but a consequence of a judicial system capable of effectively punishing and generating public trust.