Lourdes Rodriguez-Chamussy is a third year PhD student in the Agricultural and Resource Economics Department. She is working on a research project in Mexico that analyzes the potential effect of the poverty alleviation public program PROGRESA-Oportunidades in the local elections.

She writes:

“I spent three weeks in Mexico City collecting data from the Electoral Institute (IFE) and the Mexican Statistics Office (INEGI). During these weeks I have been dealing with databases and statistical information about municipal elections before and after the implementation of the PROGRESA-Oportunidades program.

One of my favorite things about returning to Mexico City is the food: tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, mole de olla, pozole… I can’t name all the yummy dishes you can enjoy here!

I have also traveled to small localities in the Mexican States of Veracruz and Puebla where local elections will be held in September and November respectively.

I did not expect such an intense rainy season. Every afternoon there are huge storms that make the commuting very hard. Flooding has been very common these last weeks.

My suggestions for future students coming to Mexico is:

Always plan 20 or 30 minutes ahead of schedule if you have never been to the place you are getting to. It is a nightmare to find an address. Rather than using common sense or a map, ask people in the street.”

To talk to Lourdes more about her research and travels in Mexico, you may contact her at lourdes_rodriguez (at) berkeley.edu.