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AbstractThe public sector in Latin America has been characterized by the proliferation of national semi‐autonomous bodies known as 'decentralized agencies'. This article focuses on such agencies in Colombia from the 1960s onwards. Attention will be paid to their institutional proliferation and how this affected local government, particularly in the fields of water and sanitation. Such changes in state organization have not been problem free. The growth of 'decentralized agencies' has been associated with problems of inefficiency, administrative confusion and problems of social and political unrest. Indeed, such contradictions have resulted in the issue of decentralization being placed on the political agenda and the development of innovative and administrative reforms that could breathe new life into local government.

The public sector in Latin America has been characterized by the proliferation of national semi-autonomous bodies known as "decentralized agencies". This article focuses on such agencies in Colombia from the 1960s onwards, particularly in the fields of water and sanitation. The growth of "decentralized agencies" has been associated with problems of inefficiency, administrative confusion and problems of social and political unrest. Indeed, such contradictions have resulted in the issue of decentralization being placed on the political agenda

AbstractThis article examines how urban conflict in Colombia is highlighting important features of local government in that country. Four interrelated questions are asked: (a) What is the role of local government in the provision of public goods and services in urban communities? (b) To what extent has local government been the target of urban community protest? (c) Has local government taken on a petitioner role by being a participant in urban community protest? (d) Does urban protest threaten the system of political domination of which local government is an integral part? The article points to certain key features of local government in Colombia that may be built upon in order to create a more progressive, democratic and community‐based system of local government. There are, however, powerful political constraints on this occurring.