Bogotá DC: Deliberative Cycles in Bogotá

The Deliberative Cycles of Bogotá represent one of the most innovative initiatives in Latin America aimed at rebuilding trust between citizens and institutions in a diverse and unequal city such as Bogotá. Faced with 88% institutional distrust and low engagement with traditional participation spaces, the city chose to transform its relationship with citizens by creating a deliberative space based on representative random selection, leveling of asymmetries, and informed dialogue. Driven by a multi-actor governance model involving the Mayor’s Office, the District Planning Secretariat, Fundación Corona, and the Extituto de Política Abierta, the initiative combines political backing, technical strength, and independence.

The initiative incorporates unique innovations, including the use of Behavioral Sciences, ICT tools through the district chatbot Chatico, street-level engagement activities, and the inclusion of 11 differential groups (Indigenous peoples, victims of conflict, persons with disabilities, migrants, LGBTIQ+ people, rural populations, and youth). Methodological and operational adjustments were implemented to guarantee full citizen participation, including home visits to complete sociodemographic forms and ensure that each participant had the necessary conditions to deliberate on equal terms.

In 2024, Bogotá held the Meta Assembly, the first experience worldwide that places the rules of deliberation themselves at the center of citizen deliberation for the following years. This unprecedented exercise allowed the regulatory framework of the assemblies to be designed by and with citizens, and it was later formalized by the government through Resolution 1378 of 2025. The call reached 51,163 people, with 2,113 registrations and 60 citizens selected to deliberate for four days.

In 2025, the first thematic Deliberative Cycle took place, addressing the issue of the city’s waste management. The call reached 45,639 people, with 2,747 registrations and 70 assembly participants, who deliberated for six days. The process produced 19 recommendations, of which 9 are already being implemented by the district government.

The results show that participants’ trust in government increased by 25%, and 93% considered that the random selection process ensures diversity and representativeness. Bogotá demonstrates that even in contexts of distrust and fragmentation, deliberation can transform the relationship between the state and citizens, activate collective intelligence, and produce more legitimate, co-responsible, and sustainable public policies.

More information:
https://ciclosdeliberativosbogota.com/

https://www.oidp.net/docs/repo/doc1914.pdf