Ecuador's Buen vivir: A New Ideology for Development

The concept of buen vivir (good living) has attracted interest far beyond its source in the Andean ethnic tradition. It is being debated internationally as a contribution to development theory and has become the fundamental purpose of Ecuador's policy since the adoption of the new constitution in 2008. There are, however, deep contradictions between the constitutional prescriptions and spirit of buen vivir and recently formulated policies that reveal a pragmatic approach on the part of the government. These contradictions suggest that, far from being a strategic orientation for effective policy making, buen vivir serves as a new ideology and is being used to support a reform plan based on a quite traditional understanding of the concept of development.