The Right to Know as Political Power

Sor Juana fought for her right to learn, to write, and to participate in intellectual life despite institutional restrictions. She understood that limiting knowledge maintains hierarchies of power. Corruption thrives in secrecy; transparency defeats it. The right to know—information access, public records, educational opportunity—is therefore both a human right and an anti-corruption tool. When citizens cannot access government budgets, court records, or procurement processes, corruption flourishes invisibly. Fighting corruption requires establishing legal and cultural norms that guarantee access to information, fund independent research and journalism, and protect those who seek truth. This concept reframes anti-corruption work not merely as law enforcement but as justice work: restoring people's fundamental right to understand the systems that govern their lives.