Governance Beyond Symbolic Politics

Almost daily, the media receives many press releases from the ruling AVP-FUTURO cabinet. A photo here, a renovation there, a tree planting ceremony—the list goes on. Many of these initiatives are good, with occasional important achievements. However, the majority remains symbolic politics. Even when the government attempts strong action, it often backfires. The idea that visible neighborhood work and constant photos are sufficient to measure performance is not sustainable in serious governance. This phenomenon falls into two concepts: symbolic politics and management populism. Symbolic politics involves focusing on visible, easily communicable actions like cleaning, painting, and tree planting because they create an immediate public perception impact. The issue is not the actions themselves, which hold value, but when this becomes the main focus rather than part of a larger plan, it substitutes for real policy. A government cannot measure success solely by neighborhood visits or photo ops. The real question is: Are the country’s big problems improving? If the answer is no, these visible actions remain a superficial layer over an unchanged reality. Real governance is felt in results—in your pocket, your security, and your future—not just seen in photos.