# Conditional cash transfers in Latin America: promoting equality through transparency and accountability URL: https://www.transparency.org/en/publications/conditional-cash-transfers-in-latin-america-promoting-equality-through-tran Type: Publication or report Published: 2016-06-30 Updated: 2020-05-28 --- 30 June 2016 In the past decades, Latin America has seen an explosion of government social spending targeting human development for the region’s poorest citizens. Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programmes, which link cash payments to the provision of education and health care, have been widely adopted. Given that these programmes are targeting families living in extreme conditions of vulnerability, it is essential that they are designed and implemented in a way that ensures that the programme funds get to the right people, for the right purposes and at the right time, free of political abuse or corruption. Unfortunately, as our regional report indicates, these social programmes can sometimes lack effective transparency, accountability and participation mechanisms. At best, this can lead to lack of understanding about benefit delivery and conditions, and a programme that is less responsive to the actual needs of intended beneficiaries. At worst, can mean the abuse of power for political or private gain by politicians and other programme stakeholders, culminating in extortion, clientelism, or the loss of benefits by those most in need. This report provides a set of evidence-based findings regarding common weaknesses found in the integrity mechanisms of selected CCT programmes in Latin America along with several recommendations for ensuring that programmes in the future operate with the most effective standards of transparency and accountability, especially accountability to those most in need – the intended beneficiaries. ### Related publications ## [Regional Assessment of Integrity in Political Finance in South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia](https://www.transparency.org/en/publications/integrity-political-finance-asia) Publication • 03 September 2026 This report reviews systems across 17 countries to identify the areas of political finance most in need of reform. ## [Whistleblowing Authorities in Europe: Roles, challenges and lessons learned](https://www.transparency.org/en/publications/whistleblowing-authorities-in-europe-roles-challenges-and-lessons-learned) Publication • 19 June 2026 This report examines the institutional design, mandates and functioning of national whistleblowing authorities across Europe. ## [Strengthening Public Oversight: Good practices for partnerships between civil society and supreme audit institutions](https://www.transparency.org/en/publications/strengthening-public-oversight-good-practices-for-partnerships-between-civil-society-and-supreme-audit-institutions) Publication • 29 May 2026 Stronger collaboration between Supreme Audit Institutions and Civil Society Organisations is needed for better public financial oversight. ## [Closing the Gaps: Detecting and investigating corrupt money flows in the Middle East and North Africa](https://www.transparency.org/en/publications/closing-the-gaps-middle-east-and-north-africa) Publication • 13 May 2026 Corruption and illicit financial flows remain serious and ongoing challenges across the Middle East and North Africa. ## Countries - [Argentina](https://www.transparency.org/en/countries/argentina) - [Bolivia](https://www.transparency.org/en/countries/bolivia) - [Colombia](https://www.transparency.org/en/countries/colombia) - [Dominican Republic](https://www.transparency.org/en/countries/dominican-republic) - [Guatemala](https://www.transparency.org/en/countries/guatemala) - [Honduras](https://www.transparency.org/en/countries/honduras) - [Peru](https://www.transparency.org/en/countries/peru) ## Regions - [Americas](https://www.transparency.org/en/region/americas) ![](https://images.transparencycdn.org/images/2016_ConditionalCashTransfersLatAm_EN_116.jpg?auto=compress&fit=crop&fm=webp&w=1200) [Download](https://images.transparencycdn.org/images/2016_ConditionalCashTransfersLatAm_EN.pdf)