The division of the indigenous voters: the Ecuadorian paradox of recognition

The indigenous population in Ecuador is often regarded as the success story of self-determination and political organization. The social movement (CONAIE) and the party built on the shoulders of the organization (Pachakutik) have become notorious actors in Ecuadorian politics since their formation, respectively, in 1986 and 1996. Since the late 1900s, the descriptive and substantive representation of the indigenous population in Ecuador has improved. However, the expected profound change in Ecuadorian politics, primarily through the presence and work of the indigenous party, has not taken place. For example, this addresses the small number of Pachakutik’s legislators elected in recent elections. Explanations for this “missed effect” often look at what non-indigenous parties and leaders have done, e.g., trying to mobilize the indigenous electorate by using ethnic-based appeals. While these explanations point towards critical external factors, they fail to address internal conflicts within the indigenous population. In this paper, I address the question: what explains the indigenous population limited effect and representation in Ecuadorian politics? To answer this research question, I first show that the indigenous population is divided by looking at their voting patterns. I use the ecological inference technique with self-identification census data and electoral results data to establish the voting patterns of the indigenous voters. I find the indigenous population is not a monolith working and voting together, as is often taken for granted, but consists of multiple groups that have become more independent with time. I thus address the fragmentation of the indigenous population. I employ qualitative data collected through interviews and archival work during over one year of fieldwork in Ecuador. I explain the fragmentation of the indigenous population as caused by the interaction between a fluid and malleable identity developed to mobilize the indigenous population at large (the indígena identity), the recognition policies in Ecuador, and an institutional context that promotes the organization of the indigenous population into smaller groups. My research addresses how ethnic identities change, both in terms of the factors that promote these changes as well as the effects of these changes on their organization and representation.