Andrés Mejía Acosta

La democracia inconclusa: Derechos fundamentales, instituciones políticas y rendimientos gubernamentales en Ecuador (1979-2008)

Luego de tres decadas de gobiernos elegidos por sufragio universal, Ecuador presenta serias deficiencias en las dimensiones constitucional y social de la democracia. Si bien existen elecciones libres y limpias, el irrespeto a las instituciones democraticas, la ausencia de un Estado de Derecho consolidado y marcadas asimetrias sociales dan cuenta de los deficitarios rendimientos del regimen. A pesar de que el presidente Correa ha contado con todas las condiciones para propiciar un cambio en las formas de gobernar el pais, las viejas practicas caudillistas, la violacion de la ley y el clientelismo son aun rasgos esenciales de la vida politica en el Ecuador.

Parliamentary Solutions to Presidential Crises in Ecuador

Over the past decade, Ecuador has witnessed growing social and economic unrest that has led to the ousting of three constitutionally elected presidents and generated severe political instability. Although Ecuadorian presidents are historically familiar with political instability and frequent regime change, the fundamental feature of contemporary political crises is that instability did not lead to regime breakdown (Perez-Linan 2007). What is more interesting is the fact that Congress played a critical role in the unfolding of all these crises: first, by endorsing widespread demands for presidential resignation from pressure groups including indigenous organizations, the military, citizens in general, and political parties themselves through a de facto “vote of no confidence”; and second, by appointing a successor to the president’s office.