Public policies and self-management in integral habitat improvement processes in the Greater San Salvador de Jujuy agglomerate (northwestern Argentina)

Abstract

The province of Jujuy, located in the north of Argentina and bordering Bolivia and Chile, is nurtured by a particular social dynamic, with a strong indigenous composition. It is also known for the effervescence of its popular organizations that develop complex and sustained activities in different areas of the social, economic and political life of the province. In addition to the central demand for access to decent work, other fields of action stand out, such as the integral improvement of the habitat associated with aspects such as economy and health.

The Greater San Salvador de Jujuy agglomerate is shaped by reproducing the logic of inequality of Latin American cities. It is an intermediate city with a significant popular and indigenous presence that contributes to configure and deepen its socio-spatial fragmentation. This process is strongly manifested in two clearly delimited areas: the Alto Comedero neighborhood and the margins of rivers and streams. Public policies have historically operated on these sectors in different ways, in permanent dialogue or disagreement with popular demands.

This last aspect is particularly interesting in a city where large and strong social organizations coexist in permanent emergence and transformation. For this reason, this paper is oriented to the analysis of the interaction between these social organizations and the State, taking into account the interplay between social demands and self-management processes within the framework of the logics interposed by public policies and the consequent management of resources.

For its development, we start with the analysis of the general dynamics of these policies in the agglomerate of Jujuy, to then identify both the implementation of integral improvement projects and self-management processes developed by social organizations, taking into account in both cases the relations with the management of public resources and related operations. The experiences analyzed differ both in their location in specific areas of the agglomerate and in their organizational base. The Corchito Neighborhood is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, whose process is led by the Corriente Clasista y Combativa (Classist and Combative Current) around the integral improvement of the living conditions of its inhabitants, including activities that counteract hunger, addictions and habitat improvements. In Barrio Las Lagunas, located in Alto Comedero, habitat improvement is accompanied by the “Frente de Organizaciones en Lucha” (protest organizations) through activities related to popular economy.

A qualitative methodological approach was adopted and open in-depth interviews with key actors and participant observation of collective work spaces were applied. The results will be organized according to the type of public resources involved, the modalities of public operation executed and, above all, the instances of agreement and disagreement, adjustments and frictions between grassroots organizations and the government institutions in charge of executing the resources.