The Indigenous Movement in Ecuador: The Struggle for a Plurinational State

• Published in: Latin American perspectives Vol. 38; no. 1; pp. 63 - 73
• Main Author: Jameson, Kenneth P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA Sage Publications 01.01.2011; SAGE Publications; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Advocacy; Autonomy; Basic rights; Capitalism; Constitution; Correa Delgado, Rafael Vicente; Correa, Rafael; Economic liberalism; Economic Policy; Ecuador; Government; Indians of Ecuador; Indigenous peoples; Indigenous politics; Indigenous populations; Latin America; Meaning; Native peoples; Pluralism; Political movements; Political protests; Presidents; Resistance movements; Social activism; Social Movements; Studies; Territories; Ecuador; Ecuador; President Rafael Correa; Indigenous movement; Economic alternative; Plurinational state
• ISSN: 0094-582X; 1552-678X
• DOI: 10.1177/0094582X10384210

The indigenous movement in Ecuador has been among the most successful new social movements in Latin America since the late 1980s. Its success may be attributed to its formulation and persistent advocacy of an alternative to the changing manifestations of the capitalist order—the "plurinational state." This position has organized and motivated the movement for the past 20 years, in the course of which it has gained access to the center of economic policy for a time and more recently has operated with greater autonomy. The struggle for plurinationalism remains at the core of the indigenous movement's approach to the current progressive government of President Rafael Correa and provides a distinctly anticapitalist alternative. Though the new constitution embodies elements of the movement's program, there remain fundamental areas of disagreement on the meaning and realization of the plurinational state.