Pluri-National Pachakutik United Movement - New Country
Encyclopedia
The Pachakutik Plurinational Unity Movement – New Country (Movimiento de Unidad Plurinacional Pachakutik – Nuevo País) is a left wing indigenist party in Ecuador
. It was founded in January 1996 primarily as a way to advance the interests of a wide variety of indigenous peoples' organizations throughout Ecuador. In the context of Ecuador's indigenous movement, Pachakutik emerged after successful civil society mobilizations by large indigenous organizations such as CONAIE
and CONFENAIE. Despite being backed by CONAIE and the workers' Social Movement Cooperation, the party is not affiliated with the organizations, as its official purpose was to serve as an alternative to the traditional cluster of political parties that had ruled Ecuadorian politics. The party has been a topic of controversy among indigenous peoples
throughout Ecuador because of its nature as a political party, and many indigenous people are unwilling to recognize it as representing their interests because they feel that the party has compromised too many indigenous demands in order to participate in the political process.
Pachakutik participated in the presidential elections of 1996
despite having only been formed a few months beforehand. In order to give a strong media boost to the party in their first presidential election, they recruited a former TV personality named Freddy Ehlers to represent the party on the highest national stage. Although Ehlers failed to win the election, he placed third with nearly twenty percent of the popular vote despite having less than five months to prepare his campaign. In addition, eight members of Pachakutik won seats as national deputies, including CONAIE president Luis Macas
, and although they constituted less than ten percent of the seats in the National Congress of Ecuador
, the presence of the party was undeniable. For the first time indigenous citizens of Ecuador were present in Congress, representing the interests of all groups throughout the country.
Pachakutik, along with a strong civil society
effort by CONAIE and others, was instrumental in pushing for the new Ecuadorian Constitution in 1998 which, among other things, recognized the country as multi-cultural, paving the way for such reforms as bilingual education. Since the 1998 elections
in which Pachakutik’s amount of representation declined, the party has never quite reached its prior levels of support and has been unable to topple the majority of the Congress that does not share their views. It has been criticized by CONAIE for its ineffectiveness, leading to a coup d'état in 2000
organized by CONAIE in association with sympathetic members of the military. Although after only hours of taking the capital and instituting a three-man junta
including CONAIE president Antonio Vargas
the government dissipated, echoing CONAIE’s frustration. Pachakutik has since distanced itself somewhat from CONAIE while still remaining intensely involved with gaining indigenous rights.
At the 2002 legislative elections
, the party won at least 12 out of 100 seats. Its candidate Lucio Gutiérrez
, member of the Patriotic Society Party 21 January won 20.3% of the vote in the presidential elections of the same day and won the second round with 58.7%.
After three months of government Gutierrez broke up its alliance with Pachakutik and he discharged its ministers. The party soon grew to despise him and publicly criticize him. In 2003 they even began to call for the removal of President Gutiérrez publicly in the media. The political party is struggling with problems of identity at this point in time and is in risk of losing all that it had originally gained in 1996.
However, with Gutierrez out, the return of Luis Macas
to the presidency of CONAIE and the opposition to the signature of an agreement of free trade with United States, they have been able to reunify to the movement.
At the 2006 elections
, the party had its worst results since its founding, but still maintains representation in the government with 6 seats in Congress. Macas ran for President and came in 7th place with 2% of the vote.
During the 2010 Ecuador coup d'état attempt
, Pachakutik stated that President Rafael Correa
was authoritarian and issued a press release opposing him and supporting police and army rebels. American-Venezuelan lawyer Eva Golinger
accused Pachakutik of having accepted funding from USAID
and NED
, and playing a role as part of a United States
plan to destabilise Latin American democracies in the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA). Pachakutik denied "having any relationship at all with the organism known as USAID, previously NED, not today nor ever". Golinger responded by referring to a National Democratic Institute (NDI, one of the four institutes funded by NED) report from 2007 describing Pachakutik being trained by the NDI in "Triangle of Party Best Practices and strategic planning methodologies" as part of NDI's Latin American/Caribbean Political Party Network of over 1400 individual members, funded under NED Core Grants 2000-031, 2001-048, 2003-028, and 2004-036.
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...
. It was founded in January 1996 primarily as a way to advance the interests of a wide variety of indigenous peoples' organizations throughout Ecuador. In the context of Ecuador's indigenous movement, Pachakutik emerged after successful civil society mobilizations by large indigenous organizations such as CONAIE
CONAIE
The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador or more commonly, CONAIE, is Ecuador's largest indigenous organization. Formed in 1986, CONAIE has pursued social change on behalf of the region's significant native population using a wide range tactics including direct action...
and CONFENAIE. Despite being backed by CONAIE and the workers' Social Movement Cooperation, the party is not affiliated with the organizations, as its official purpose was to serve as an alternative to the traditional cluster of political parties that had ruled Ecuadorian politics. The party has been a topic of controversy among indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
throughout Ecuador because of its nature as a political party, and many indigenous people are unwilling to recognize it as representing their interests because they feel that the party has compromised too many indigenous demands in order to participate in the political process.
Pachakutik participated in the presidential elections of 1996
Ecuadorian general election, 1996
Bucaram is released to the presidency for the third time. This time, chosen as a candidate for Vice President Rosalía Arteaga, former minister of the outgoing government of Duran Ballen, who had achieved notoriety by opposing plans to conservative Duran Ballen in public education.In 1996 Nebot...
despite having only been formed a few months beforehand. In order to give a strong media boost to the party in their first presidential election, they recruited a former TV personality named Freddy Ehlers to represent the party on the highest national stage. Although Ehlers failed to win the election, he placed third with nearly twenty percent of the popular vote despite having less than five months to prepare his campaign. In addition, eight members of Pachakutik won seats as national deputies, including CONAIE president Luis Macas
Luis Macas
Luis Macas Ambuludí is a Kichwa politician and intellectual from Saraguro Ecuador.Macas has honorary university degrees in anthropology, linguistics and jurisprudence. He was one of the founders of the CONAIE and of the Pachakutik Movement, and was member of the National Congress of Ecuador...
, and although they constituted less than ten percent of the seats in the National Congress of Ecuador
National Congress of Ecuador
The National Congress was the unicameral legislative branch of the government of Ecuador prior to November 2007....
, the presence of the party was undeniable. For the first time indigenous citizens of Ecuador were present in Congress, representing the interests of all groups throughout the country.
Pachakutik, along with a strong civil society
Civil society
Civil society is composed of the totality of many voluntary social relationships, civic and social organizations, and institutions that form the basis of a functioning society, as distinct from the force-backed structures of a state , the commercial institutions of the market, and private criminal...
effort by CONAIE and others, was instrumental in pushing for the new Ecuadorian Constitution in 1998 which, among other things, recognized the country as multi-cultural, paving the way for such reforms as bilingual education. Since the 1998 elections
Ecuadorian general election, 1998
Following the previous general elections, President of the Republic Abdala Bucaram Ortiz was removed from office by Congress nine months later on grounds of mental incapacity...
in which Pachakutik’s amount of representation declined, the party has never quite reached its prior levels of support and has been unable to topple the majority of the Congress that does not share their views. It has been criticized by CONAIE for its ineffectiveness, leading to a coup d'état in 2000
2000 Ecuadorean coup d'état
The 2000 Ecuadorean coup d'état took place on 21 January 2000 and resulted in President Jamil Mahuad being sent into exile, and replaced by Vice President Gustavo Noboa...
organized by CONAIE in association with sympathetic members of the military. Although after only hours of taking the capital and instituting a three-man junta
Military junta
A junta or military junta is a government led by a committee of military leaders. The term derives from the Spanish language junta meaning committee, specifically a board of directors...
including CONAIE president Antonio Vargas
Antonio Vargas
Carlos Antonio Vargas Guatatuca is an indigenous Quechua politician of Ecuador. He was leader of Confederación de Nacionalidades Indígenas de Ecuador and Minister for Social Welfare in the Lucio Gutiérrez government.-References:...
the government dissipated, echoing CONAIE’s frustration. Pachakutik has since distanced itself somewhat from CONAIE while still remaining intensely involved with gaining indigenous rights.
At the 2002 legislative elections
Ecuadorian general election, 2002
Presidential and Parliamentary elections were held in Ecuador on 20 October 2002.-Presidential election:Lucio Gutiérrez won the first round of voting, but did not receive over 50% of ballots, necessitating a second round...
, the party won at least 12 out of 100 seats. Its candidate 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...
, member of the Patriotic Society Party 21 January won 20.3% of the vote in the presidential elections of the same day and won the second round with 58.7%.
After three months of government Gutierrez broke up its alliance with Pachakutik and he discharged its ministers. The party soon grew to despise him and publicly criticize him. In 2003 they even began to call for the removal of President Gutiérrez publicly in the media. The political party is struggling with problems of identity at this point in time and is in risk of losing all that it had originally gained in 1996.
However, with Gutierrez out, the return of Luis Macas
Luis Macas
Luis Macas Ambuludí is a Kichwa politician and intellectual from Saraguro Ecuador.Macas has honorary university degrees in anthropology, linguistics and jurisprudence. He was one of the founders of the CONAIE and of the Pachakutik Movement, and was member of the National Congress of Ecuador...
to the presidency of CONAIE and the opposition to the signature of an agreement of free trade with United States, they have been able to reunify to the movement.
At the 2006 elections
Ecuadorian general election, 2006
On 15 October 2006, Ecuador held a general election. The voters stood to elect a new President, a new National Congress, as well as other positions....
, the party had its worst results since its founding, but still maintains representation in the government with 6 seats in Congress. Macas ran for President and came in 7th place with 2% of the vote.
During the 2010 Ecuador coup d'état attempt
2010 Ecuador crisis
The 2010 Ecuador crisis took place on September 30, 2010, when elements of the National Police and military forces of Ecuador blockaded highways, occupied the National Parliament, blocked the Mariscal Sucre International Airport in Quito and the José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport in...
, Pachakutik stated that President 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...
was authoritarian and issued a press release opposing him and supporting police and army rebels. American-Venezuelan lawyer Eva Golinger
Eva Golinger
Eva Golinger is a Venezuelan-American attorney and editor of the Correo del Orinoco International, a web- and print-based newspaper which is financially backed by the Venezuelan government....
accused Pachakutik of having accepted funding from USAID
United States Agency for International Development
The United States Agency for International Development is the United States federal government agency primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid. President John F. Kennedy created USAID in 1961 by executive order to implement development assistance programs in the areas...
and NED
National Endowment for Democracy
The National Endowment for Democracy, or NED, is a U.S. non-profit organization that was founded in 1983 to promote US-friendly democracy by providing cash grants funded primarily through an annual allocation from the U.S. Congress...
, and playing a role as part of a United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
plan to destabilise Latin American democracies in the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA). Pachakutik denied "having any relationship at all with the organism known as USAID, previously NED, not today nor ever". Golinger responded by referring to a National Democratic Institute (NDI, one of the four institutes funded by NED) report from 2007 describing Pachakutik being trained by the NDI in "Triangle of Party Best Practices and strategic planning methodologies" as part of NDI's Latin American/Caribbean Political Party Network of over 1400 individual members, funded under NED Core Grants 2000-031, 2001-048, 2003-028, and 2004-036.