Judith Mansilla

This research project explores the colonial origins of endemic corruption that Peru and other Latin American countries endure. The prosecution of various former presidents in Peru, which led them to prison time, exile, and even suicide, shows that these practices are common in this country. To unveil the roots of these abuses, this study examines the life and career of one administrator of Lima’s royal treasury in the seventeenth century. It analyzes the interplay between royal administrators' performance and society's perceptions and expectations of such performance to show how such perceptions ultimately shaped the treatment of abusive and dishonest activities.