State Auditor Hector Balderas was the only New Mexico elected official to meet on Friday with a delegation from the Czech Republic that is in America to exchange ideas about transparency and ethics in democracy.
The U.S. State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program is what brought the delegation of high-level prosecutors, law enforcement officers and directors of non-governmental organizations to New Mexico and other states.
“It is an honor to meet representatives from the Czech Republic to exchange knowledge and ideas about ethics in government,” Balderas said in a news release after meeting with the group in Santa Fe. “As a burgeoning democracy, the Czech Republic is undergoing numerous challenges in developing systems for accountability and transparency. I hope our dialogue continues for months and years to come, and that I can be a resource in assisting them with government reform.”
The State Department’s goal for the program is to allow others to explore how governments in the United States combat corruption, learn about the role watchdog agencies and other non-governmental organizations play in ensuring transparency, gather ideas for judicial and ethics reform and learn about whistleblower protections.
“As New Mexico’s auditor, I continue to face challenges in combating government fraud, waste and abuse,” Balderas said. “Resources, innovation and collaboration are the key to ensuring success in governmental accountability. The public deserves no less.”
Update, Feb. 19, 12:30 p.m.
The delegation also met with state Republican Party officials to talk about the importance of a strong, two-party system in a democracy to combat corruption and a lack of transparency, said the state GOP’s spokesman, Scott Darnell.
State Auditor Hector Balderas was the only