Civil society organizations and conditional cash transfers programs in Latin America. The case of Oportunidades in Mexico

Abstract

This paper explores the perceptions of civil society organizations vis–à–vis Mexico’s main anti–poverty program: Progresa–Oportunidades (Prop), particularly with regards to the program’s mechanisms for fostering participation and building citizenship. Based on interviews with representatives from 42 civil society organizations that work in poor communities in different parts of the country, the authors observe that these organizations are generally quite critical of Prop; they see the beneficiaries’ participation as passive and not geared towards creating a sense of civic responsibility. What is more, the participation of civil society organizations has itself been minimal. Nevertheless, civil society has an important role to play, the authors argue, in preventing the program from being used for clientelistic purposes, especially with regards to electoral proselytism.