Institutionalization of contentious politics: Ecuador under Guillermo Lasso

Abstract

The first year of President Guillermo Lasso in office in Ecuador was marked by the struc­tural weakness of his administration while facing political instability, corruption scandals and drug trafficking along with an enpowerment within the opposition sectors and social actors. The Executive-Legislative confrontation and the deadlock in the political system have prevented Lasso from implementing substantial policy and reforms. The aim of this article is to explore the factors explaining the weakness of Lasso’s government and to an­alyze the political behavior and the channeling of demands of the indigenous movement through the use of violence. First, we present the elements representing the weakness of the Ecuadorian government and its strategies to survive along with its struggles with corrup­tion and drug trafficking. We then analyze the role of the indigenous movement and the institutionalization of contentious politics in Ecuador.