No one understands the needs of their citizens better than municipal and regional leaders, who interact with their concerns and ways of life on a daily basis. Their unique position enables them to gain an insider’s understanding of local realities, which is why they play a crucial role in the provision of public services and the implementation of development policies. Ana Paola López Birlain, Secretary of Culture of the State of Querétaro, and Gustavo Fajardo economist from CAF —the organisation that produced the report Soluciones cercanas: el papel de los gobiernos locales y regionales en América Latina y el Caribe— discuss how to engage in grassroots politics with the people in their communities.
