From cohesion to fragmentation: a case study of the Ecuadorian indigenous movement

The following research tries to find a causal explanation of the transformation of the Ecuadorian Indigenous Movement, from its rise to its progressive decay in the first decade of the 21st century. The method used to understand this process has been the implementation of qualitative research, namely fieldwork interviews and path tracing processes to find critical junctures and the use of archive material. As a result, I will argue that the mechanisms that made the weakening of the Indigenous movement possible rely on two aspects: the movement’s decision to not pact with mestizo parties after the failed alliance with the ex-president Lucio Gutierrez and the instrumental use of the movement’s framing by Rafael Correa and his political project