Analysis of the formation of conditional cash transfer programmes in Latin America: a historical perspective on the Mexican, Brazilian, and Chilean cases

Abstract

This article aims to provide an analytical overview of the process of formulating conditional public policies in Latin America, with emphasis on the period from the second half of the 1990s to the early 2000s. This historical interval was marked by a profound productive restructuring in the region, accompanied by an institutional offensive against poverty promoted and supported by multilateral organisations such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). Within this framework, the study focuses on a comparative analysis of three emblematic conditional cash transfer programmes: PROGRESA/Oportunidades in Mexico, Bolsa Família in Brazil, and Chile Solidario. The research examines not only the design and implementation of these initiatives but also the prior experiences in social policy in each country, adopting an approach that considers institutional learning and the role of governments and political parties involved. The article takes an explanatory perspective and is based on a systematic literature review, complemented by a contextual analysis of the relevant political actors and coalitions before and after the implementation of the programmes. This approach makes it possible to identify the political and institutional conditions that facilitated the opening of “windows of opportunity” for the adoption of these policies, as well as to understand the factors that influenced their consolidation within government agendas.