This paper presents an analytical reflection on one of the findings evidenced in the Structural Demands research, conjunctural answers. An analysis of the relationship: rural development, public policies and citizen participation in the municipalities of Andes, Liborina and San Roque, held in the department of Antioquia (Colombia), that is: upon structural demands from social actors and economic agents regarding rural development, the institutional answer was conjunctural and mediated by the creation of a national agrarian pact to strengthen the rural scenario. To support the above qualitative and quantitative methodological strategies were used. The main results we can say that the responses are mediated by different scenarios of vertical articulation of rural development: municipality-department, municipality-nation and extra-state agents. In turn, these responses are conjunctural and with instrumental participation as the budgets are reduced, the institution is weak to implement them and its range of action is limited. Finally, it is posible to conclude that t he abandonment to which the rural scenario was subjected in a period of over 20 years, today it is more tan urgent to create rural development structural policies that address the roots of the problems in the field and whose transverse axis is the active participation of rural people.