Ecuador: Constitutional Reform, New Political Actors, and Old Political Practices

The approving of a new constitucional design characterized by the displacement of the principal institutions of democratic representation and the reinforcement of negative incentives to cooperation among legislative, executive and judiciary reflect the main logic in the new Ecuadorian political arena. Paradoxically, actors from the old political party system, pork barrel, and the ancient political caudillismo constantly criticized by president Correa are the fundamental features of the sedimentation period of the "revolucion ciudadana" (citizen's revolution). Considering this context and through an analyses of critical events, this article offers a panorama of the political, economic, and social issues observed in Ecuador in 2008.