Ocra is governed by a community council that holds weekly meetings with all inhabitants in attendance; most decisions are made directly democratic. The community also practices the system of faena (Spanish for “task”, known as Mink’a in Quechua), a mandatory weekly community labor tribute that all adults in the town have to take part in.

This communal labor initiative goes back to the Incan labor systems—Mink’a for local communities, and Mit’a for federal projects. The local laws of Ocra prescribe 4 days of faena per month, and the community council decides over when and where the collective labor force shall be deployed.