Progressives traveling in Ecuador will find it impossible to ignore the deeply entrenched economic inequality that has been a feature of the society since its inception during the Age of Discovery. Relatively small groups of Spanish colonial military forces dominated the population in a very short time with a program of genocide and the spread of diseases from which the indigenous had no immunity.
Less progressive visitors might say that this history is long past if their itinerary only includes touring the most developed urban areas of Quito, Cuenca, Manta, or Guayaquil. They might conclude that the hacienda system of agricultural exploitation only has quaint vestiges in the remaining colonial-era resort hotels out in the countryside. Color lines, though subtle, remain class determiners readable to Ecuadorians as straight dark indigenous hair and beardless men, or darker-skinned Ecuadorians of African heritage. This is still a deeply divided country.
Some of the indigenous groups such as the Kichwa speaking ancestors of the Incas or the local Canari have reclaimed and reconstructed their endangered heritages and achieved group solidarity in the process. This has empowered them to take collective action in defense of their lands but has not translated into economic enfranchisement in the current political system. Rural indigenous, mestizo sharecroppers, and Afro-Ecuadorians on the coast remain financially distressed with the prospect of inequality deepening with the dismantling of Ecuador's fairly comprehensive early social safety net.
If you would like to learn more about the current situation and participate in discussions on this topic then we encourage you to join our Facebook group: Ecuador Progressive Community for English Speakers and Expats.
Image: PublicDomainPictures.net
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