Local Diversity to Contend with Globalization in Oaxaca, Mexico

The paper examines the tension between centralism and decentralization in Mexico, focusing on the state of Oaxaca. It highlights how the diversity of Oaxaca's municipalities—including those governed by indigenous 'usages and customs'—provides a model for local autonomy. The author contends that for sustainability and poverty reduction to be achieved, local governments must transition from being administrators of federal programs to active promoters of development through informed social participation and public accountability.

• Historically, Mexico has been characterized by political and economic centralism (presidentialism), which has reduced state and municipal governments to the role of "mere implementers of the policies dictated by the federal executive and the administrators of federal government programs."
• Oaxaca exhibits significant local diversity, with 570 municipalities representing 23.3% of all municipalities in Mexico. Of these, 418 are indigenous municipalities that "choose their authorities by usages and customs."
• Indigenous populations in Oaxaca have developed a social organization based on "communality," utilizing models of reciprocity and compulsory community services (tequio) to survive shared poverty and provide services that are otherwise precariously handled by public institutions.
• The World Bank-supported Municipal Funds program intended to distribute resources on a non-discretional basis, but it created risks by potentially "strengthening local governments that were not accountable" and eliminating some requirements for targeting the poorest areas in the name of autonomy.
• Oaxaca's legal framework is noted as advanced due to a 1995 Constitutional amendment recognizing the right to elect authorities via usages and customs, and the incorporation of the Law on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
• The author asserts that sustainability is incompatible with a globalization model that produces "cultural homogeneity and environmental destruction," arguing instead for a model where diverse communities define their own development and reconcile environmental limits with quality of life.
• The capacity of rural municipalities to combat poverty depends on their level of internal democracy and decentralization, with "informed social participation" being critical for transparency and public accountability.

APA

Farrera, F. M. (2002). Local Diversity to Contend with Globalization in Oaxaca, Mexico. World Resources Institute. http://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/pdf/eaa_decent_melo.pdf

Chicago

Farrera, Fernando Melo. Local Diversity to Contend with Globalization in Oaxaca, Mexico. World Resources Institute, 2002. http://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/pdf/eaa_decent_melo.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Farrera |first1=Fernando Melo |title=Local Diversity to Contend with Globalization in Oaxaca, Mexico |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=February 2002 |url=http://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/pdf/eaa_decent_melo.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{farrera2002local, author = {Farrera, Fernando Melo}, title = {{Local Diversity to Contend with Globalization in Oaxaca, Mexico}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2002}, month = feb, url = {http://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/pdf/eaa_decent_melo.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }