Central America & Caribbean

This is one of the regions of the planet where Participatory Budgeting has least advanced, and may even define this scenario as one of stagnation. Among the 20 countries and their dependencies, it was possible to identify processes in only four, namely in the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Panama and Guatemala, representing approximately 1% of the world total. If we exclude the Dominican Republic, which accounts for around 95% of the cases identified, PB are practically non-existent in this subcontinent.

There are essentially two highlights worth mentioning:

1. The creation of legislation that makes the implementation of participatory budgeting mandatory in all Dominican Republic municipalities. This was established in 2007, after several years of local experimentation that led to the emergence of 120 Participatory Budgeting cases between 1997 and 2006. The second-to-last revision of the Constitution of the Republic, carried out in 2010, allowed the PB to gain recognition in the country's Constitution. This was maintained in the 2015 revision. Despite the mandatory nature imposed by the law, not all Dominican municipalities have dedicated themselves to the adoption of the process. This is due to the fact that there is no penalty for defaulters.
2. ​​The existence of a law in Panama that defines the obligation of the "Communal Councils" to prepare the respective "Participatory Investment Budgeting" and to deliver them to the Municipal President by October 15 of each year, so that he may include in the municipal budget whatever is within his competence. Despite this framework and according to the data collected during the preparation of the Atlas, it was possible to identify only one operating PB experience in the country. This is an issue that deserves better attention in future projects.

All Participatory Budgeting cases identified in this region of the planet are promoted by local governments. These include 32 processes organised by capital cities. It is also worth noting the emergence, in May of this year, of a movement composed of more than 30 Dominican civil society organizations that advocates, in its manifesto, the implementation of mechanisms for citizen participation in the preparation of the national budget, as well as in monitoring its implementation. This is an issue to be closely followed.

The territorial distribution of Participatory Budgeting in Central America and the Caribbean, based on the international indexes included in this Atlas, is clearly influenced by the fact that the overwhelming majority of processes are concentrated in the Dominican Republic. Hence:​

1. Some 96% of the cases are located in countries with imperfect democracies, notably in the Dominican Republic and Panama; 2% are part of a democracy considered full, in this case Costa Rica; the remaining 2% are part of a hybrid regime, i.e. Guatemala.;
2. Approximately 98% of PB are located in countries classified in the second worst level of corruption; the remaining 2% are part of the 2nd best in this index.;
3. Some 98% of PB are ongoing in territories with a high level of human development, the second on the scale of this UN index; 2% of cases have been identified in places with a medium level in terms of this analysis parameter.;
4. Some 95% of the cases are based in territories positioned in the second level of the happiness ranking, namely in the Dominican Republic. The remaining 5% are reflected in the highest level of this indicator.

Based on the asymmetric distribution of PB in the region, the keywords chosen are mainly related to the way in which these initiatives are viewed in the context of the Dominican Republic. These are essentially processes aimed at promoting participation, improving the effectiveness and efficiency of municipal management and ensuring a redistribution of resources in order to promote greater social justice.