Ecuador

Ecuador

Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...

's first constitution as a republic was established in 1830, following the country's independence from Gran Colombia

Gran Colombia

Gran Colombia is a name used today for the state that encompassed much of northern South America and part of southern Central America from 1819 to 1831. This short-lived republic included the territories of present-day Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama, northern Peru and northwest Brazil. The...

. Ecuador has had a total of twenty constitutions over the course of its history, which can be seen as a symptom of Ecuador's chronic instability.

After several years of political crisis, the government of Rafael Correa

Rafael Correa

Rafael Vicente Correa Delgado born is the President of the Republic of Ecuador and was the president pro tempore of the Union of South American Nations. An economist educated in Ecuador, Belgium and the United States, he was elected President in late 2006 and took office in January 2007...

, elected in 2005 following the dismissal of Lucio Gutiérrez

Lucio Gutiérrez

Lucio Edwin Gutiérrez Borbúa served as President of Ecuador from January 15, 2003 to April 20, 2005.- Political rise :Gutiérrez was prominent in a popular uprising that replaced President Jamil Mahuad for three hours in January 2000...

 by Congress, proposed a new Magna Carta for the country with the goal of stability and social development. This constitution, approved in 2008, is the last episode of Ecuador's constitutional history.

Year	Meeting place of the Constituent Assembly	Notes
1830	Riobamba Riobamba Riobamba is the capital of the Chimborazo Province in central Ecuador, which is located at the Chambo River Valley of the Andes. It is south of Ecuador's capital Quito and located at 2754 m on the Avenue of the Volcanoes...	The Constituent Assembly for Ecuador's first constitution met August 14 and was presided over by José Fernández Salvador José Fernández Salvador José Fernández Salvador was an Ecuadorian politician and jurist, known as a "liberal among the criollos"... . Its objective was the creation of the Republic of Ecuador, and Juan José Flores Juan José Flores Juan José Flores y Aramburu was a Venezuelan military general who became Supreme Chief, and later the first President of the new Republic of Ecuador. He later served two more terms from 1839 to 1843 and from 1843 to 1845, and is often referred to as "The founder of the Republic".-Biography:Flores...  was named the provisional president.
1835	Ambato	The Constituent Assembly was presided over by José Joaquín de Olmedo José Joaquín de Olmedo José Joaquín de Olmedo y Maruri Patriot and poet, son of the Spanish Captain Don Miguel de Olmedo y Troyano and the Guayaquilean Ana Francisca de Maruri y Salavarría....  and chose Vicente Rocafuerte Vicente Rocafuerte Vicente Rocafuerte y Bejarano was an influential figure in Ecuadorian politics and President of Ecuador from September 10, 1834 to January 31, 1839....  as president.
1843	Quito Quito San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...	The Constituent Assembly was presided over by Francisco Marcos and chose Juan José Flores Juan José Flores Juan José Flores y Aramburu was a Venezuelan military general who became Supreme Chief, and later the first President of the new Republic of Ecuador. He later served two more terms from 1839 to 1843 and from 1843 to 1845, and is often referred to as "The founder of the Republic".-Biography:Flores...  as president. This third constitution was called la Carta de la Esclavitud (the Charter of Slavery). It provided that Congress would meet only every four years. The term of the president and the Chamber of Deputies was eight years. Senators were elected for 12 years.
1845	Cuenca	The Constituent Assembly was presided over by Pablo Merino. This constitution legitimated the March Revolution March Revolution The March Revolution may refer to:* The Revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas and Revolutions of 1848 in the German states, which began in March of that year...  that overthrew Flores and installed a Provisional Triumvirate, led by Vicente Ramón Roca Vicente Ramón Roca Vicente Ramón Roca Rodríguez was President of Ecuador from 8 December 1845 to 15 October 1849. He was a member of the Liberal Party. He led the revolution that overthrew Juan José Flores, along with José Joaquín de Olmedo and Diego Noboa. He ruled under the Constitution of 1845.-External links:*... .
1850-1851	Quito	The Constituent Assembly was presided over by Ramón de la Barrera. Diego Noboa Diego Noboa Diego de Noboa y Arteta was President of Ecuador 8 December 1850 to 26 February 1851 and 26 February 1851 to 17 July 1851.-External links:*...  was chosen as president.
1851	Guayaquil Guayaquil Guayaquil , officially Santiago de Guayaquil , is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador,with about 2.3 million inhabitants in the city and nearly 3.1 million in the metropolitan area, as well as that nation's main port...	The Constituent Assembly was presided over by Pedro Moncayo Pedro Moncayo Pedro Moncayo is a canton in the north of the Pichincha Province, Ecuador. The seat of the canton is the city of Tabacundo. The canton is named after politician Pedro Moncayo. The canton is separated by the Mojanda volcano from the canton of Otavalo in the province of Imbabura in the north. It... . General José María Urbina José María Urbina José María Mariano Segundo de Urvina y Viteri was President of Ecuador 13 July 1851 to 16 October 1856.He was born in Quillon on March 19th, 1810, his primary education was given in his birthplace he then attended to the Navy School in Guayaquil. He was notorious among his classmates from whom he...  was chosen as president.
1861	Quito	The Constituent Assembly was presided over by General Juan José Flores Juan José Flores Juan José Flores y Aramburu was a Venezuelan military general who became Supreme Chief, and later the first President of the new Republic of Ecuador. He later served two more terms from 1839 to 1843 and from 1843 to 1845, and is often referred to as "The founder of the Republic".-Biography:Flores... . Gabriel García Moreno Gabriel García Moreno Gabriel Gregorio Fernando José María García y Moreno y Morán de Buitrón was an Ecuadorian statesman who twice served as President of Ecuador and was assassinated during his second term, after being elected to a third term...  was chosen as president.
1869	Quito	The Constituent Assembly was presided over by Rafael Carvajal Rafael Carvajal Rafael Carvajal Guzmán was Vice President of Ecuador from 1864 to 1865 and acting President from 31 August 1865 to 7 September 1865.-External links:*... . This eighth constitution was called la Carta Negra (Black Charter) and permitted the second presidency of Gabriel García Moreno. It imposed the death penalty for political crimes and prohibited cults and religions except Catholicism. Catholicism was a requirement for citizenship.
1878	Ambato	The Constituent Assembly was presided over by General José María Urbina José María Urbina José María Mariano Segundo de Urvina y Viteri was President of Ecuador 13 July 1851 to 16 October 1856.He was born in Quillon on March 19th, 1810, his primary education was given in his birthplace he then attended to the Navy School in Guayaquil. He was notorious among his classmates from whom he... , following the overthrow of Antonio Borrero Antonio Borrero Antonio María Vicente Narciso Borrero y Cortázar was Vice President of Ecuador from 1863 to 1864 and President from 9 December 1875 to 18 December 1876.... . General Ignacio de Ventimilla was chosen as president.
1883	Quito	The Constituent Assembly was presided over by Francisco J. Salazar, redacta la décima Constitución y nombra como presidente a José María Plácido Caamaño, luego de la dictadura de Ignacio Ventimilla.
1896-1897	Guayaquil	The first liberal constitution, following the June 5 Revolution. General Eloy Alfaro Eloy Alfaro José Eloy Alfaro Delgado was the President of Ecuador from 1895 to 1901 and from 1906 to 1911. He became one the strongest opponents of pro-Catholic conservative President Gabriel Garcia Moreno...  was chosen as president. The constitution established freedom of religion, removed the death penalty, and held that all citizens were equal under the law.
1906	Quito	The second liberal constitution. General Eloy Alfaro was chosen as president. This constitution was called "atheist" by the conservatives, because it separated church and state.
1928	Quito	Nueva Constitución y elección para la presidencia de Isidro Ayora Isidro Ayora Isidro Ayora Cueva was an Ecuadorian political figure. He served as the president of Ecuador from 1926 to 1931. Isidro Ayora, a town in Guayas, and Puerto Ayora, are named after him. Some people name coins ayora because this were introduced by him.-External links:... . Incluye los logros de la Revolución Juliana de 1925.
1937	Quito	Convened by dictator Federico Páez Federico Páez Federico Páez Chiriboga was President of Ecuador 1935-1937.... . It was dissolved when he was overthrown in the coup d'état led by General Alberto Enríquez Gallo Alberto Enríquez Gallo Gil Alberto Enríquez Gallo was President of Ecuador 1937-1938.Enriquez was a general in the Ecuadorian army and served as minister of national defense in the government of Federico Páez. In September 1937, he overthrew Páez in a military coup... .
1938	Quito	Convened by Alberto Enríquez. The Constituent Assembly chose Aurelio Narváez as president. The constitution never went into effect because it was abrogated by Narváez.
1944	Quito	Redacta una Constitución producto de la Revolución de Mayo que derrocó al presidente Carlos Arroyo del Río. Nombra presidente a José María Velasco Ibarra José María Velasco Ibarra José María Velasco Ibarra was an Ecuadorian political figure. He served as the president of Ecuador from 1934–1935, 1944–1947, 1952–1956, 1960–1961, and 1968-1972. He only served one of those terms without being ousted by the army, from 1952-1956.-Early life and career:Velasco Ibarra was born on... .
1946	Quito	Convened by José María Velasco Ibarra after a coup d'état.
1966	Quito	Convened by Clemente Yerovi Clemente Yerovi Clemente Yerovi Indaburu was a politician and the interim president of Ecuador from March 30, 1966, to November 16, 1966.-Biography:... . Otto Arosemena Gómez was chosen as president.
1978	Quito	Convened by the military government. The election of Jaime Roldós Aguilera Jaime Roldós Aguilera Jaime Roldós Aguilera was President of Ecuador from 10 August 1979 to 24 May 1981. In his short tenure, he became known for his firm stance on human rights. His death in a plane crash gave rise to speculation of involvement by the United States government in the accident.-Early life and...  was permitted. It was approved by referendum and allowed the Ecuadorian state to return to democratic government.
1997-1998	Sangolquí Sangolquí Sangolquí is the seat of the Rumiñahui canton in the province of Pichincha in northern Ecuador. Access to the city of Quito through the village of Tumbaco or through the "Autopista General Rumiñahui" ....	Se instaló como Asamblea Constitucional pero luego se autodenominó Constituyente. Redactó una nueva Constitución y legalizó el gobierno de Fabián Alarcón.
2007-2008	Montecristi	Convocada por Rafael Correa Rafael Correa Rafael Vicente Correa Delgado born is the President of the Republic of Ecuador and was the president pro tempore of the Union of South American Nations. An economist educated in Ecuador, Belgium and the United States, he was elected President in late 2006 and took office in January 2007... . Se instala la Asamblea Nacional Constituyente respaldada por una consulta popular y es aprobada en referendum en 2008.