The Odebrecht scandal at last reaches Mexico

While the Odebrecht corruption scandal tainted and toppled people in high place throughout Latin America, Mexico's elite remained untouched, though, suspicions abound.

Now the Reuters news agency has reported that Mexico this year rejected an offer by Odebrecht to pay $18 million and supply information related to graft cases.

In exchange, the company had asked Mexico to lift fines and sanctions that block it from participating in public tenders, and also to agree not to prosecute Odebrecht in the future.

The Mexican government has not brought criminal charges against Odebrecht for allegedly paying bribes for public-works contracts, but in actions beginning last December it fined Odebrecht for suspected corruption and barred it from participating in government tenders.