Chosen by a Secret Algorithm: Colombia's top-down pandemic payments
Center for Human Rights and Global Justice, NYU School of Law
Ref: SRC-004-COL-001
Accessed: 3/30/2026
Summary
Analyses SISBEN's secret algorithm and its use during COVID-19 for the Ingreso Solidario programme. Documents the shift from observable poverty indicators to predicted income generation capacity using a confidential algorithm. Describes cross-referencing of 34 public and private databases including Experian and TransUnion. Critiques technocratic shift away from rights-based frameworks: recipients perceived payments as fortunate windfalls rather than entitlements.
View Harvard reference
Farhat, Y. (2021) 'Chosen by a Secret Algorithm: Colombia's top-down pandemic payments', Center for Human Rights and Global Justice, NYU School of Law. Available at: https://chrgj.org/2021-12-14-transformer-states-colombia/ (Accessed: 30 March 2026).