Should Noboa be successful, we are likely to see more such leaderships emerge in the region, and a public willing to sacrifice some liberties in favor of a sense of increased security.
Ecuador is at an inflection point, poised to harness comparative advantages in mining, agriculture, and tourism as catalysts for sustainable economic growth. But these require enhanced security and a more tranquil social environment.
As the violence spirals out of control, we analyze the implications for Ecuador, its government, and narco-trafficking across the region.
The incorporation of emigrants into the legislative bodies of their country of origin represents a significant advancement in the ways that governments define their borders and interact with their non-resident citizens.
Fernando thus had a plausible path to the Ecuadoran presidency, creating a risk of him working from a position of authority to dismantle webs of corruption involving not only Rafael Correa, his cronies, and the Chinese companies he built his presidential administration around but also the broader penetration of the Ecuadoran economy and political system by international criminal organizations.
The U.S. and other like-minded democracies have an obligation to assist Ecuador in combatting criminality while preserving essential civil liberties. Enduring democratic leadership in Ecuador and the world will have to bring both effective law enforcement and civil liberties to douse the fire.
Despite its novelty, the act did not plunge the country into crisis as some critics warned, nor did it mark a death knell for Ecuadorian democracy, as others argued. To the contrary, muerte cruzada acted as a constitutional release valve, helping dissipate popular discontent and providing a democratic exit for an unpopular president who was facing his second impeachment trial and third motion for impeachment in two years.
Following Latin America’s democratic transitions in the 1980s, confrontations between legislative and executive branches controlled by opposing political forces produced institutional crises in many countries that seriously affected governance.
Passing the referendum would generate positive effects on multiple levels—for the Ecuadorean people, for democracy’s position and presence in the region, and, finally, for the U.S. and its regional influence.
The label “pink tide” was already misleading 20 years ago. Today, with even more pronounced distinctions between the left-wing presidents and diverse foreign policy orientations—including some critical views of Cuba—such a generalization has become even more outdated and is by far too inaccurate to categorize a political trend.
