Episodio 76 - En conversación con Clara Salazar (The Urban Lives of Property Series IV)
Ejidos y asentamientos autogestionados en Mexico In this inaugural Spanish-language episode of the Urban Political Podcast, Clara Salazar delves into the history and concept of the ejidos—collective forms of land ownership introduced by the Mexican Revolution in 1917. Following this, the state began redistributing land to impoverished farmers under the condition that they organize themselves into collectives. Ejidal land, which was typically rural land, could not be sold. The significance of the ejidos persists to this day, although this form of collective ownwerhips has been the subject of numerous struggles and controversies. In 1992, the rights to ejidal lands were liberalized to permit their sale. Concurrently, the rights associated with private property were strengthened, providing powerful private owners with nearly unmatched opportunities to manage and profit from their lands, leveraging surplus value through public infrastructure provision while offering minimal compensation in return. Meanwhile, self-managed settlements by poor urbanites dwelling informally on the outskirts of metropolises have increasingly encroached upon ejidal land, leading to a parceling of the land and a profound transformation of Mexican cities. Against this backdrop, Clara Salazar makes a compelling case for enhancing public capacities to regulate urban land and to capture surplus value—a challenge that many Latin American countries face, alongside the ongoing evolution of property forms that separate land and housing ownership. En este episodio inaugural en español del Urban Political Podcast, Clara Salazar profundiza en la historia y el concepto de los ejidos, formas colectivas de propiedad de la tierra introducidas por la Revolución Mexicana en 1917. Después de ésta, el estado comenzó a redistribuir tierras a los agricultores empobrecidos bajo la condición de que se organizaran en colectivos. Las tierras ejidales, típicamente rurales, no podían venderse. La importancia de los ejidos persiste hasta el día de hoy, aunque han sido objeto de numerosas luchas y controversias. En 1992, los derechos sobre las tierras ejidales se liberalizaron para permitir su venta. Al mismo tiempo, se fortalecieron los derechos asociados con la propiedad privada, brindando a poderosos empresarios oportunidades casi inigualables para administrar y sacar provecho de sus tierras, aprovechando la plusvalía de la provisión de infraestructura pública y ofreciendo una compensación mínima a cambio. Los asentamientos autogestionados por residentes pobres e "informales" en las afueras de las metrópolis han invadido cada vez más las tierras ejidales, lo que ha llevado a una parcelación de la tierra y una profunda transformación de las ciudades mexicanas. En este contexto, Clara presenta argumentos convincentes para el mejoramiento de la capacidad pública en la regulación del suelo urbano y la captura de plusvalía; un desafío que enfrentan muchos países latinoamericanos, junto con la continua evolución de las formas de propiedad que separan la titularidad de la tierra y la vivienda. Con: Dr. Clara E. Salazar Cruz , doctor in Social Sciences with a specialty in population studies from El Colegio de México, is professor-researcher at the Center for Demographic, Urban and Environmental Studies since 1997. Throughout her academic career she has written more than fifty publications, including book chapters and articles in specialized journals, and authored, co-authored and coordinated four books. In addition to her teaching and research role, Dr. Salazar is a member of the National System of Researchers, level III. At the Center for Demographic, Urban and Environmental Studies, she serves additional roles as Publications Coordinator and director of the journal Demographic and Urban Studies. Her most recent research focuses on urban development in Mexico, addressing issues such as changes in the land tenure system and its impact on the land market, the regularization of informal se