Ecuador
Ecuador exhibits mid-range performance across all categories of the Global State of Democracy framework. It is amongst the top 25 per cent of countries in the world with regard to Freedom of Religion, Local Democracy and Electoral Participation. Over the past five years, it has experienced advances in several factors of Representation, Rights, Rule of Law and Participation. It has not experienced any significant declines in this period. Ecuador is a middle income country, with an economy highly dependent on petroleum and thus vulnerable to international economic crashes.
In 2000, the country adopted the US dollar as its national currency in order to control hyperinflation, which led to a loss of control over monetary policy. Although the measure stabilized the economy, the cost of living increased and a significant percentage of the population lives in poverty. Economic problems have had political consequences, including multiple military coup attempts and successful coups; the armed forces have long played a political role, either ruling the country directly or supporting dictatorships throughout the 1960s and 1970s. High party fragmentation and volatility in voter allegiance have also brought about political instability, epitomized by ten presidents between 1997 and 2007. Between 1996 and 2021, only two democratically elected presidents finished their terms. Corruption and a considerable increase in drug trafficking and criminal violence are concerning and reveal the weakness of institutions such as the police. This situation has led to increased militarization to counter organized crime.
The population of Ecuador is multicultural: over two thirds of the population is mestiza (mixed White and Amerindian), and there are minorities of Montubio, Amerindian, White, Afroecuadorian, Mulatto, and Black groups. Persistent economic and social discrimination and the process of acculturation have led Indigenous persons to adopt a mestizo identity, rather than risk exclusion. "Mestizaje” represents a racial divide in Ecuadorian society; a surface level mestizo identity belies the exclusion of Afroecuadorians as well as the portion of indigenous people who refuse to be accultured. Additionally, Ecuador has become one of the region’s main recipients of refugees, especially from Colombia and Venezuela.
Income inequality is also a cause for social divide in Ecuador. In the 2000s and 2010s social spending to combat inequality increased as a result of the petroleum boom. Nevertheless, the decline in the price of oil has led income inequality to rise again.
Ecuador performs in the mid-range with regard to Gender Equality. In 2020, a reform to the Elections and Policial Organizations Organic Law was passed to strengthen political gender equality through temporary special measures. Women’s representation in Congress surpassed 38 per cent after the 2021 elections, placing the country among the top 50 countries globally on this measure. Numerous barriers to women’s development persist, including high rates of intimate partner violence, domestic violence, femicide and other forms of gender-based violence. Other challenges include early and adolescent pregnancy and discrimination based on gender stereotypes. Despite a Constitutional Court ruling on the decriminalization of abortion in cases of rape, restrictions to access this service and post-abortion health care continue.
In the coming years, it will be important to watch Ecuador’s performance in Rights and Rule of Law, especially in light of the government’s increasing use of emergency powers and the military to contain violent crime. Representation will also be an important category to observe, given the potential impact of the 2023 dissolution of Congress and early legislative elections.
https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/
May 2024
Emergency measures are scrutinized by Court and human rights organizations
The government’s extension of a state of exception in five provinces due to an ‘armed conflict’ was declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court on 10 May. An insufficient justification of the existence of an internal armed conflict, lack of territorial demarcation and temporality were among the reasons given by the Court. On 22 May the government decreed a state of exception again in seven provinces, including the five covered by the ruling, but was struck down by the Court on 14 June.
Human rights advocates have criticized the term ‘internal armed conflict’ to characterize gang violence, saying that the legal requirements are not met (such as the degree of organization and intensity of hostilities). They have reported an increase in human rights violations, including in the penitentiary system. The allegations triggered an investigation by the country’s Ombudsperson that found at least 24 deaths of inmates between February and March, some of whom appeared to be victims of violent deaths and torture. Reports of the suspension of meals have furthered the concerns of family members and human rights defenders.
Sources: Prensa Latina, CNN, Vistazo 1, Vistazo 2, Telesur TV
April 2024
Ecuador holds constitutional referendum and plebiscite focused on security
On 21 April, through a single ballot, citizens participated in both a binding referendum on constitutional amendments and a consultative plebiscite on other questions. Citizens voted ‘Yes’ to referendum questions related to amending the constitution to permit armed forces to support the national police (by 72 per cent), the extradition of Ecuadorean nationals subject to certain conditions (by around 65 per cent), and the establishment of judiciaries specialized in constitutional issues (by 60.5 per cent). Conversely, they rejected the use of international arbitration in investment disputes, as well as a proposal to reform the constitution and Labour Code to include hourly and fixed-term work contracts.
Regarding the plebiscite questions, a majority of voters agreed to the armed forces carrying out checks in detention centres, increasing prison terms for certain crimes, among other security-related issues.
These plebiscite questions will move on to the National Assembly for consideration. Despite mandatory voting, 28 per cent of eligible voters abstained.
Sources: El Pais, The New York Times, CNN
Police carry out raid in Mexican Embassy in Quito
Ecuador’s national police carried out a raid on the Mexican embassy in Quito on 5 April, escalating an ongoing diplomatic dispute. Ecuador’s military and police agents breached the diplomatic mission to detain Jorge Glas, a former vice president who had taken refuge in the embassy since December, after being convicted of corruption-related crimes. Mexico ended diplomatic relations with Ecuador and, along with other countries, has protested a transgression of the inviolability of its diplomatic mission, in contravention of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Ecuador argues that Mexico’s attempts to grant political asylum to a person convicted of ordinary and not political crimes was a breach of international law. Mexico has filed an application against Ecuador before the International Court of Justice, which heard arguments on its request for provisional measures in late April and early May.
March 2024
Government establishes database with genetic information of imprisoned population
An investigation by El Pais revealed that authorities have established a database with the genetic profiles of prisoners, without their informed consent. According to the report, the samples were collected in several prisons, including the Cotopaxi Penitentiary, where officials collected genetic samples of most of the imprisoned population without informing them of their legal right to refuse.
The country’s National Service for the Attention of Adults and Youth Deprived of their Liberty (SNAI) issued a statement in which it informed the public it was carrying out a census of prison population, taking note of persons’ tattoos and other identifying data, including their genetic profiles, for humanitarian and forensic purposes only, but denied taking samples without consent. It also announced it would suspend the measure until further notice. Guayaquil’s Human Rights Committee has stated it will ask SNAI to audit the process in the regional prison located in that city.
Sources: El Pais (1), SNAI on Facebook, Teleamazonas, El Pais (2)
January 2024
Presidential decree expands security forces’ powers due to “internal armed conflict”
President Daniel Noboa decreed a state of emergency and expanded security forces’ powers after a significant surge in violence, including the escape of an imprisoned gang leader, the kidnapping of police officers and the taking of over 100 prison officials hostage, as well as an incident in which a group of armed men took reporters hostage during a live broadcast at a TV station.
The presidential decrees, which include the declaration of an “internal armed conflict”, enable the military and national police to “neutralize” such groups. They established a night-time curfew and determined the applicability of international humanitarian law.
In the following days, the military regained control of prisons, releasing the hostages.
The surge in violence highlights gang leaders’ power and influence over prison officials, members of the judiciary and police. Relatedly, a prosecutor investigating the hostage taking at the TV station and working on another gang-related investigation known as “Caso Metastasis”, related to the infiltration of gangs in Ecuadorian institutions such as the police and judiciary, was murdered in Guayaquil state.
Sources: El Universo, La Hora, Deutsche Welle, British Broadcasting Corporation, El Pais (1), El Pais (2), The New York Times
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GSoD Indices Data 2014-2023
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Global State of Democracy Indices
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