Ecuador Today

In 2002, Lucio Gutiérrez was elected president of Ecuador. His rise to power began on January 21, 2000, when a coup of disgruntled young military officers and 5000 indigenous protesters attempted to oust President-elect Jamil Mahaud, whom they accused of corruption. Gutiérrez’s role in the coup increased his popularity with the previously politically invisible indigenous populations of Ecuador. The resurgent indigenous political movement, Pachakutik (Resurgence), supported him through a run-off election against his rival, banana magnate Alvaro Noboa. Referred to by his supporters simply as “Lucio,” Gutiérrez promised to help indigenous peoples of Ecuador gain greater equality and power within the country.

However, political instability worsened with his presidency. Initially a beacon of hope for indígenas, Gutiérrez was criticized for abandoning his campaign promises. In mid-2004, Gutiérrez’s approval ratings dropped to as low as 16%—perhaps related to the corruption scandals that plagued his term. Many citizens blamed Gutiérrez for the growing poverty in Ecuador exacerbated by attempts to meet the International Monetary Fund’s criteria for qualifying for future financial aid. Others bemoaned the millions spent on hosting the Miss Universe Pageant in 2004, claiming the money would have been better spent on social programs for the poor. Gutiérrez’s environmental policies were especially dubious. On February 26, 2004, when fishermen blockaded the entrance to the Charles Darwin Research Station demanding fishing rights, Gutiérrez’s government relented, relaxing the preservation principles protecting the island’s delicate ecosystem.

On April 20, 2005, the National Congress voted to oust Gutiérrez from office and install his vice president, Alfredo Palacio. Palacio served out the remainder of the term, and Rafael Correa was elected president in 2006. Correa’s government has seen more stability than his recent predecessors; he was just reelected in 2009.

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