Citizens’ participation in Bogotá, 1990-2010. Discourse, trajectories, expectations and limitations

This article provides an analysis of three main trends and citizenship participation processes which have grown and expanded during the last two decades within the city: First are the concerns over the explosion of citizen participation spaces in district and local governments; second, a new form of social accountability and control; third is the growing presence of new social movements, in particular the environmentalist movement. These three processes coordinate to defend participatory democracy and citizen participation in public affairs and rescue the central role of civil society. This coordination is nevertheless apparent in many issues, conflicts, and spaces represented through different projects.