Correa, Indigenous Movements, and the Writing of a New Constitution in Ecuador

Abstract

In 2008, voters in Ecuador approved a new and progressive constitution. Indigenous leaders questioned whether the new document would benefit social movements or strengthen the hand of President Rafael Correa, who appeared to be occupying political spaces that they had previously held. Correa’s relations with indigenous movements point to the complications, limitations, and deep tensions inherent in pursuing revolutionary changes within a constitutional framework. Although the indigenous movements, as well as most social movements, shared Correa’s stated desire to curtail neoliberal policies and implement social and economic strategies that would benefit the majority of the country’s people, they increasingly clashed over how to realize those objectives. The political outcome of the new constitution depended not on the actions of the constituent assembly but on whether organized civil society could force the government to implement the ideals that the assembly had drafted.

Rights, Pressures and Conservation in Forest Regions of Mexico

“…On one hand, the ruling party in Bolivia -Movimiento Al Socialismo (MAS) -achieves the direct incorporation of popular sectors into the state government in the form of a classic party of the masses. Furthermore, the ruling party in Ecuador -Alianza País -is an electoral machine that had a strong mobilization, and participation of indigenous and peasant organizations, social movements with environmental roots, and NGOs from 2006 to (Becker, 2011Silva, 2013).…”

NGOs and the Democratization of Ecuadorian Water Governance: Insights from the Multi-Stakeholder Platform el Foro de los Recursos Hídricos

“…Although it falls out of the scope of this research to investigate what the precise determinants of the creation of these two institutions were, it is interesting to note that similar proposals for the creation of these institutes had been pushed forward by WRF before and after the elections (see for instance Mosquera 2011). (Petras 2008) and to the inclusion of selected people from other political parties, as well as many from outside of the traditional political arena (Becker 2011). These included several academics, NGO-leaders and social-movement activists (Becker 2011).…”

“…(Petras 2008) and to the inclusion of selected people from other political parties, as well as many from outside of the traditional political arena (Becker 2011). These included several academics, NGO-leaders and social-movement activists (Becker 2011). The president's discourses emphasized the role of democracy in decision making and pushed forward the liberal ideology of individual rights.…”

“…On 29 November 2007, the Constituent Assembly was installed to start its work. According, to Becker (2011) this 'provided a critical juncture for indigenous movements by opening up a historic opportunity to decolonize the country's political structures' (p. 48). Arguably, it was not only the indigenous movement that got a great opportunity to change the country's political structures but also the whole range of organized civil society groupings.…”

“…The Ecuadorian economy started to recuperate since the early 2000s, and since 2007, the 'new' government of Rafael Correa has made great investments in public infrastructure, increased the minimum wages, improved the provision of social services and greatly invested in rural development programmes (Becker 2011, Boelens et al 2013). These investments have further reduced the number of people that live in extreme poverty in the country, decreasing the 'need' for international funding of development projects.…”