Place-based strategies for sustainable and inclusive regional development in the south of Mexico

In many countries the growth of significant regional economic disparities has created a geography of discontent. Looking at left-behind places in less developed countries is critical because of the wider economic, social, and political consequences. One example of political discontent due to acute inequalities is the Zapatista movement in the state of Chiapas in southern Mexico in 1994. Combining elements from the literature on left-behind places and place-based policies with elements of political economy, this article analyses place-based strategies for inclusive and sustainable development as implemented by Mexico’s current federal government. In contrast to previous federal administrations, strategic projects for disadvantaged regions are considered a national security priority. With the slogan ‘For the good of all, the poor come first’, the president promised to govern for everyone but to prioritise the most impoverished and vulnerable. However, these projects have been accused of endangering sustainable development. This article argues that those policies have been agreed in a political-economic scenario of struggle in which they are considered as either popular and progressist, or populist.