{"id":174570,"date":"2026-10-02T11:46:23","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T17:46:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/?p=174570"},"modified":"2026-10-05T11:51:43","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T17:51:43","slug":"importance-of-building-state-capacity-in-latam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/education-and-humanism\/importance-of-building-state-capacity-in-latam\/","title":{"rendered":"The importance of building state capacity in Latin America"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For several decades, oil was a major source of revenue for Mexico. However, more money does not necessarily translate into greater state capacity to turn those resources into better services and opportunities for the population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The case of Pemex is a clear example of state capacity, that is, the tools, institutions, and resources that enable governments to deliver results in areas such as security, education, health care, and infrastructure. care, and infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The panel State(s) Under Construction: Reflections on Latin America, held as part of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congresotriada.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">4th Latin American Congress on Social Sciences and Government<\/a>, examined how these capacities are built through case studies from Colombia, Chile, Mexico, and Brazil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The discussion, moderated by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/edna-jaime-trevi%C3%B1o-13926417a\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Edna Jaime<\/a>, dean of the <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/school-of-social-sciences-and-government\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">School of Social Sciences and Government <\/a>(ECSG) at Tecnol\u00f3gico de Monterrey, featured <a href=\"https:\/\/cienciassociales.uniandes.edu.co\/ciencia-politica-estudios-globales\/profesores\/angelika-rettberg\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Angelika Rettberg<\/a>, dean of the School of Social Sciences at Universidad de los Andes; <a href=\"https:\/\/tec.mx\/en\/our-faculty\/ecsg\/sebastian-mazzuca\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sebasti\u00e1n Mazzuca<\/a>, distinguished professor; and <a href=\"https:\/\/tec.mx\/en\/our-faculty\/ecsg\/carlos-elizondo-mayer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Carlos Elizondo<\/a>, research professor, both affiliated with the ECSG.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><picture>\r\n                <source srcset=\"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/10\/state-capacity2-1024x576.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\">\r\n                <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/10\/state-capacity2-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-174573\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/10\/state-capacity2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/10\/state-capacity2-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/10\/state-capacity2-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/10\/state-capacity2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/10\/state-capacity2.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\r\n            <\/picture><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The panel featured (from left to right) Angelika Rettberg, a researcher at Universidad de los Andes, and Carlos Elizondo and Sebasti\u00e1n Mazzuca, professors at Tec de Monterrey. (Photo: Live Tec)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A bigger state does not mean greater capacity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A larger state or one with a greater presence does not necessarily have stronger capabilities, said <a href=\"\/en\/education-and-humanism\/sebastian-mazzuca\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mazzuca<\/a>, a member of Tec\u2019s <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/faculty-of-excellence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Faculty of Excellence<\/a> program and an expert on democracy, economic development, and state capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He explained the importance of <strong>distinguishing between the size and quality of the state<\/strong>, noting that whether large or small, it can be inefficient in either case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He added that <strong>state capacity is not an end in itself<\/strong> but is studied as a tool for achieving other goals. Its importance, therefore, lies in the effects it can have on economic development, democracy, and equality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou can\u2019t think about institutions without capacity,\u201d he said. \u201cRights don\u2019t enforce themselves just because they exist on paper. You need the capacity to enforce them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even market-based economies need a state capable of providing goods and services that the private sector alone would be unlikely to address, such as national defense, street lighting, water systems, epidemic control, and vaccination. <strong>Without state capacity, there would be no economic development<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He also noted that building state capacity takes time, since these investments may <strong>take anywhere from five to ten years<\/strong> to produce visible results. This poses a challenge for governments because they must bear the costs in the present, even though the benefits may not materialize until another administration is in power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><picture>\r\n                <source srcset=\"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/10\/state-capacity1.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\">\r\n                <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/10\/state-capacity1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-174574\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/10\/state-capacity1.jpg 750w, https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/10\/state-capacity1-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/>\r\n            <\/picture><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">State capacities are tools that help governments achieve their goals in areas such as equality, development, and democracy. (Photo: Live Tec)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Violence and state weakness: a vicious cycle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The dean of the School of Social Sciences at Universidad de los Andes in Colombia, an expert on armed conflict, peacebuilding, and crime, noted that there is a <strong>relationship between state capacity and the violence<\/strong> affecting several countries in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the one hand, a state with weak capacity can create conditions that foster violence and crime. At the same time, these very problems can make it more difficult for a state to strengthen itself and respond to the population\u2019s needs, particularly in areas such as public safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cJust as state weakness helps explain armed conflict and violence, <strong>conflict and violence also weaken states<\/strong>,\u201d Rettberg explained. \u201cThis creates a very harmful dynamic in which weak institutions provide opportunities for violent behavior.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although state capacity has generally increased across Latin America, violence and crime remain a problem. Rettberg explained that for years, the prevailing assumption has been that greater state capacity and presence would help curb violence. However, the region\u2019s experience shows that the relationship is more complex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Against this backdrop, she proposed <strong>identifying the \u201cmost promising combinations\u201d of state capacities for addressing challenges<\/strong> such as violence and inequality. These could include effective public administration, the ability to collect taxes, and control over weapons, while also incorporating a subnational perspective and considering differences in gender, age, and ethnicity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s not just about the state bringing in its offices and investments; it\u2019s also about empowering local authorities and holding them accountable, engaging civil society, and sharing some of the responsibility,\u201d she said. \u201cState capacity is not simply a one-sided effort by institutions to come in and provide funding; it also involves coordinating efforts at the local level.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Institutions that turn resources into results<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Elizondo, a research professor at the ECSG, an expert in social policy and political economy, and a former independent board member of Pemex, pointed to Mexico\u2019s energy sector as an example of how<strong> having abundant resources does not necessarily translate into stronger state capacity<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He explained that for years, the country received substantial revenue from oil. However, the availability of those resources also allowed governments to <strong>postpone some of the institutional reforms needed to strengthen the state<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIn 2004, Mexico was producing 3.4 million barrels of oil, 2 million of which came from Cantarell, and it was so easy to extract that no matter how many mistakes you made, you still had oil revenues equivalent to 4, 5, or 6 percent of GDP.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For years, Mexico\u2019s energy sector relied primarily on Pemex. However, it lacked sufficient mechanisms to manage its reserves, evaluate the company\u2019s performance, and foster competition\u2014all of which the researcher considered vital to strengthening state capacity in this area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By contrast, he cited the case of Petrobras in Brazil, where agencies were created to manage the country\u2019s oil wealth and institutions were established to evaluate the company\u2019s performance and allow for competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTo strengthen a company like Pemex, what you need are strong institutions and competition,\u201d he added. \u201cIn Brazil, to build that state capacity, you have to put in place a series of agencies to manage the country\u2019s oil wealth, along with competition to push Petrobras to become truly capable of extracting those resources as efficiently as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 4th Latin American Congress on Social Sciences and Government was held October 1\u20132 at Tec\u2019s <a href=\"\/es\/tag\/campus-ciudad-de-mexico\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mexico City campus<\/a>, bringing together experts from the three universities that make up La Tr\u00edada: Universidad de los Andes in Colombia, Pontificia Universidad Cat\u00f3lica de Chile, and Tecnol\u00f3gico de Monterrey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Did you find this story interesting? Would you like to publish it? Contact our content editor for more information: <a href=\"mailto:marianaleonm@tec.mx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">marianaleonm@tec.mx<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Drawing on a range of cases, the panelists noted that a larger state or one with a greater presence does not necessarily have stronger capabilities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47,"featured_media":174571,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_eb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[558],"tags":[372],"class_list":["post-174570","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education-and-humanism","tag-school-of-social-sciences-and-government"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v21.0 (Yoast SEO v28.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ 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