Stress and birth outcomes: evidence from terrorist attacks in Colombia

This paper estimates the impact of random terrorist attacks (landmines) in Colombia onthe health of babies born between 1998 and 2003. The results suggest that these types of terrorist activities that occur during a woman´s first trimester of pregnancy have a negative and significant impact on child health outcomes such as birth weight and preterm deliveries, and behaviors such as use of prenatal care. These findings persist when mother fixed effects are included, suggesting that neither observable nor unobservable characteristics of the mothers are driving the results. The paper contributes to the existing literature by identifying yet another important channel through which violence affects economic well being. Given that studies have found a strong link between Low Birth Weight (LBW) and short and long-term socioeconomic outcomes, the negative consequences of violence identified in this paper may have long-term effects on economic activity.birth weight, health, violence, landmine, terrorism

Misallocation and Productivity in Colombia’s Manufacturing Industries

Following Hsieh and Klenow (2009), this paper studies productivity dispersions in Colombian industrial establishments using the Colombian Annual Manufacturing Survey (AMS) from 1982 to 1998. The United States is used as a benchmark to estimate the reallocation of capital and labor to equalize marginal products across plants in Colombia. Gains are found in manufacturing Total Factor Productivity (TFP) of approximately 3-8 percent and TPF is positively correlated with exporting status, age, size, and location in the central region of the country. There is also suggestive evidence that opening the economy in 1991 is associated with an increase in plant productivity levels for firms that export goods. The 1990 reform that reduced dismissal costs is associated with an increase in productivity, while the reform that increased labor costs in 1993 is associated with a decrease in plants’ productivity. Further work is needed to establish a causal relation between productivity and policy changes.Total Factor Productivity, Industry, Reallocating factors of production, Colombia

Manipulation of Social Program Eligibility: Detection, Explanations and Consequences for Empirical Research

We document manipulation of a targeting system which used a poverty index score to determine eligibility for social welfare programs in Colombia, including health insurance. We show strategic behavior in the timing of the household interviews around local elections, and direct manipulation when some households had their eligibility scores lowered. Initially the number of interviews increased around local elections. After the algorithm was made public to local officials, the score density exhibited a sharp discontinuity exactly at the eligibility threshold. The discontinuity at the threshold is larger where mayoral elections are more competitive; and smaller in municipalities with less competitive elections, more community organizations and higher newspaper circulation.Manipulation, Targeting, Local elections, Colombia

Assessing the long-term effects of conditional cash transfers on human capital : evidence from Colombia

Conditional cash transfers are programs under which poor families get a stipend provided they keep their children in school and take them for health checks. Although there is significant evidence showing that they have positive impacts on school participation, little is known about the long-term impacts of the programs on human capital. This paper investigates whether cohorts of children from poor households that benefited up to nine years from Familias en Acción, a conditional cash transfer program in Colombia, attained more school and performed better on academic tests at the end of high school. Identification of program impacts is derived from two different strategies using matching techniques with household surveys, and regression discontinuity design using a census of the poor and administrative records of the program. The authors show that, on average, participant children are 4 to 8 percentage points more likely than nonparticipant children to finish high school, particularly girls and beneficiaries in rural areas. Regarding long-term impact on tests scores, the analysis shows that program recipients who graduate from high school seem to perform at the same level as equally poor non-recipient graduates, even after correcting for possible selection bias when low-performing students enter school in the treatment group. Although the positive impacts on high school graduation may improve the employment and earning prospects of participants, the lack of positive effects on test scores raises the need to further explore policy actions to couple the program's objective of increasing human capital with enhanced learning.Education For All,Tertiary Education,Primary Education,Secondary Education,Teaching and Learning

Assessing the Long-term Effects of Conditional Cash Transfers on Human Capital: Evidence from Colombia

Conditional Cash Transfers (CCT) are programs under which poor families get a stipend provided they keep their children in school and take them for health checks. While there is significant evidence showing that they have positive impacts on school participation, little is known about their long-term impacts on human capital. In this paper we investigate whether cohorts of children from poor households that benefited up to nine years from Familias en Acción, a CCT in Colombia, attained more school and performed better in academic tests at the end of high school. Identification of program impacts is derived from two different strategies using matching techniques with household surveys, and regression discontinuity design using census of the poor and administrative records of the program. We show that, on average, participant children are 4 to 8 percentage points more likely than nonparticipant children to finish high school, particularly girls and beneficiaries in rural areas. Regarding long-term impact on tests scores, the analysis shows that program recipients who graduate from high school seem to perform at the same level as equally poor non-recipient graduates, even after correcting for possible selection bias when low-performing students enter school in the treatment group. Even though the positive impacts on high school graduation may improve the employment and earning prospects of participants, the lack of positive effects on the test scores raises the need to further explore policy actions to couple CCT's objective of increasing human capital with enhanced learning.Conditional Cash Transfers, school completion, academic achievement, learning outcomes

The Impact of Receiving Price and Climate Information in the Agricultural Sector

Previous studies indicate that Colombian farmers make production decisions based on informal sources of information, such as family and neighbors or tradition. In this paper we randomize recipients of price and climate information using text messages (SMS technology). Under this experimental design we find that relative to those farmers who did not receive SMS information, the farmers that did had better knowledge of prices and the dispersion in the expected price of their crops was narrower, although we do not see a significant difference in the actual sale price. Farmers also report that text message information is useful and becomes an important source of information for sales. Even though we find significant reduction in crop loss in general and due to weather conditions, we do not find significant changes in their revenues or householdexpenditures.Randomized evaluation, price and climate information in agriculture, bargaining, spillovers, SMS technology

La liberación de la Madre Tierra: Más que la toma de un territorio

Objective: this article reconfigures the dynamics of the process of the Liberation of Mother Earth by the Nasa people, making it visible in a commitment to re-territorialization that begins with the recovery of dispossessed lands. Methodology: this historical-hermeneutic research approach, involved participant observation, the use of techniques such as video and audio recording, the application of informal interviews with representatives of the Nasa community, and the documentary analysis of primary and secondary sources prepared by the community. Results: the research describes the main land disputes in the region, from colonization to internal armed conflict. It presents the history of organization that the community has put into practice there, with special emphasis on the process of the Liberation of Mother Earth; based on the accumulation of organizational experiences, responding to the de-territorialization processes led by external agents against the indigenous people of Norte del Cauca has become possible. Finally, the scenarios and gambles that have resulted from this process, and their relationship with other social movements are analyzed. Conclusions: the reflections and experiences around the process of Liberation of Mother Earth raise hopeful horizons for the construction of autonomous ways of life. They are focused on a different relationship with the earth which allows inquiry and confrontation of the prevailing system.Objetivo: este artículo reconfigura las dinámicas del proceso de la Liberación de la Madre Tierra del pueblo Nasa, para visibilizarlo en una apuesta por la reterritorialización que inicia con la recuperación de tierras despojadas. Metodología: este trabajo investigativo de enfoque histórico–hermenéutico, implicó la observación participante, el uso de técnicas como registro de video gráfico y de audio, la aplicación de entrevistas informales con representantes de la comunidad Nasa, y el análisis documental de fuentes primarias y secundarias elaborados por la comunidad. Resultados: se describen las principales disputas en torno a la tierra en la región, pasando desde la colonización hasta el conflicto armado interno. Presenta la historia de organización que allí ha puesto en práctica la comunidad, haciendo especial énfasis en el proceso de Liberación de la Madre Tierra; pues a partir de este cúmulo de experiencias organizativas ha sido posible responder a los procesos de desterritorialización que han propiciado agentes externos a los pueblos indígenas del norte del Cauca. Finalmente, se analizan los escenarios y apuestas que han resultado de este proceso, y su relación con otros movimientos sociales. Conclusiones: las reflexiones y experiencias en torno al proceso de Liberación de la Madre Tierra plantean horizontes esperanzadores para la construcción de modos de vida autónomos, centrados en un relacionamiento distinto con la tierra, que permiten cuestionar y confrontar el sistema imperante

Armed conflict characteristics and its effects on firm exit

This paper uses two unique panel data sets to study the causal effect that different characteristics of the armed conflict have over firm exit in Colombia. Using a fixed effects estimation methodology at the plant level and controlling for the possible endogeneity of armed conflict through the use of instrumental variables, we find that the particular armed group that operates in a given region, the level of polarization of the conflict as well as the specific target of the attack impact in a differential manner the probability of firm exit. This poses important implications for policy recommendations and actions in the different regions of the country

Firm exit and armed conflict in Colombia

This paper uses two unique panel data sets to study the causal effect that armed conflict has over entrepreneurial activity in Colombia. Using a fixed effect estimation methodology at the plant level and controlling for the possible endogeneity of armed conflict through the use of instrumental variables, we find that a one standard deviation increase in the number of guerrilla and paramilitary attacks in a municipality increases the probability of plant exit in 5.2 percentage points or 0.26 standard deviations. This effect is stronger for younger manufacturing plants, with a smaller number of workers and low levels of capital