Bribe paying in Peru

This is an excerpt from a blog site I visit about life for expats living in Peru.


"The issue of ‘greasing the wheels’ is something that comes up in our forums now and again. Whether it’s paying a little extra to get some paperwork through faster or sliding over a few soles together with your driver’s license to avoid a ticket, bribery is a fact here in Peru. It’s also something that no one should go along with – paying bribes really only leads to more corruption among officials as they come to expect people to pay."


We had our first experience paying a "propina" this morning. For more than six weeks we have been here we have not received our power bill. Well, guess what?  The power man came and tuned off the power and we watched him do it.  Fortunately, our neighbor and counselor in the temple presidency on the second floor interceded and asked the fellow to turn the power back on in our apartment.  He suggested fifty soles would make it happen so I ran for my wallet.  Who knows how long it would take to find a bill and pay it?  The man from the power company had a look of glee as we stepped into the shadows  and I handed him a 50 sole note.  He smiled and wished us a good day, "Egualmente," I offered in return. Our power is back on for another month and yes we should not have paid a bribe but we do have power today and likely for the month until the next one comes. Hopefully, we can get it. Fifty soles is about eighteen dollars.