This study explores the narratives of day-to-day practices of the Venezuelan System of Children and Youth Orchestras, one of the oldest social development strategies in Venezuela, and one of the most successful social inclusion and cultural participation programs in the world. Its main objective is to identify some of the policy-based and organizational factors contributing to the success, autonomy, and longevity of this initiative since its creation in 1975. In order to assess the relative importance of these factors, the study reviews the sociopolitical circumstances surrounding the evolution of the program and examines the perceptions of its main actors and clients about key internal processes and organizational dynamics. More generally, this case is offered as a way of better understanding the insularity of bureaucratic efficiency in Latin America. / text