Ecuador Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==History== {{Main|History of Ecuador|Indigenous peoples in Ecuador}} ===Pre-Inca era=== [[File:Valdivia (ecuador), figuretta di donna incinta, 2300-2000 ac ca.jpg|thumb|110px|left|A Venus (2,300-2,000 BCE) of the [[Valdivia culture]] (from Santa Elena Province) displayed in the [[National Archaeological Museum, Florence|National Archaeological Museum of Florence]].]] [[File:Jama-Coaque - Figure Seated on a Bench with Hands Held to Mouth - Walters 482862 - Right Side.jpg|thumb|140px|Figure of the Jama Coaque culture (300 BCE-800 CE) (from [[Manabí Province]]). [[Walters Art Museum]].<ref>{{cite web|website=[[Walters Art Museum]] website|url=https://art.thewalters.org/detail/79440/figure-seated-on-a-bench-with-hands-held-to-mouth/|title=Figure Seated on a Bench with Hands Held to Mouth|access-date=22 November 2023|archive-date=23 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231123100943/https://art.thewalters.org/detail/79440/figure-seated-on-a-bench-with-hands-held-to-mouth/|url-status=live}}</ref>]] [[File:Ecuador ingapirca inca ruins.jpg|thumb|Ruins of [[Ingapirca]], was an outpost and supplier for the Incan troops, and also was a [[coricancha]], a place of worship to the Sun ([[Inti]]), the main god]] Various peoples had settled in the area of future Ecuador before the arrival of the [[Incas]]. The archeological evidence suggests that the [[Paleo-Indians]]' first dispersal into the Americas occurred near the end of the [[last glacial period]], around 16,500–13,000 years ago. The first people who reached Ecuador may have journeyed by land from [[North America|North]] and [[Central America]] or by boat down the Pacific Ocean coastline. Even though their languages were unrelated, these groups developed similar groups of cultures, each based in different environments. The people of the coast combined agriculture with fishing, hunting, and gathering; the people of the highland Andes developed a sedentary agricultural way of life; and peoples of the Amazon basin relied on hunting and gathering, in some cases combined with agriculture and [[arboriculture]]. Many civilizations<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ferdon |first=Edwin N. |date=24 June 1966 |title=The Prehistoric Culture of Ecuador: Early Formative Period of Coastal Ecuador: The Valdivia and Machalilla Phases . Betty J. Meggers, Clifford Evans, and Emilio Estrada. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., 1965. 452 pp., $6.75. |url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.152.3730.1731 |journal=Science |language=en |volume=152 |issue=3730 |pages=1731–1732 |doi=10.1126/science.152.3730.1731 |issn=0036-8075 |access-date=25 July 2022 |archive-date=25 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220725182653/https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.152.3730.1731 |url-status=live }}</ref> arose in Ecuador, such as the [[Valdivia Culture]] and [[Machalilla Culture]] on the coast,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/vald/hd_vald.htm|title=Valdivia Figurines|publisher=[[Metropolitan Museum of Art]]|date=October 2004|access-date=29 June 2022|archive-date=30 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220630052041/https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/vald/hd_vald.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Meggers|first1=Betty J.|last2=Evans|first2=Clifford|last3=Estrada|first3=Emilio|date=1965|title=Early Formative Period of Coastal Ecuador: The Valdivia and Machalilla Phases|url=https://repository.si.edu/handle/10088/19154|journal=Smithsonian Contributions to Anthropology|pages=1–234|doi=10.5479/si.00810223.1.1|hdl=10088/19154|access-date=29 June 2022|archive-date=17 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220617215335/https://repository.si.edu/handle/10088/19154|url-status=live}}</ref> the [[Quitu culture|Quitus]] (near present-day Quito),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Quito History - Culture, Religion and Lifestyle in Quito |url=https://www.quito.com/v/history/ |access-date=25 July 2022 |website=www.quito.com |archive-date=25 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220725182659/https://www.quito.com/v/history/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and the [[Cañari]] (near present-day [[Cuenca, Ecuador|Cuenca]]).<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Sandoval|first1=José R.|last2=Lacerda|first2=Daniela R.|last3=Jota|first3=Marilza M. S.|last4=Robles-Ruiz|first4=Paulo|last5=Danos|first5=Pierina|last6=Paz-y-Miño|first6=César|last7=Wells|first7=Spencer|last8=Santos|first8=Fabrício R.|last9=Fujita|first9=Ricardo|date=10 September 2020|title=Tracing the genetic history of the 'Cañaris' from Ecuador and Peru using uniparental DNA markers|journal=[[BMC Genomics]]|volume=21|issue=Suppl 7 |page=413 |doi=10.1186/s12864-020-06834-1|pmid=32912150 |pmc=7488242 |doi-access=free }}</ref> In the highland Andes mountains, where life was more sedentary, groups of tribes cooperated and formed villages; thus the first nations based on agricultural resources and the domestication of animals formed. Eventually, through wars and marriage alliances of their [[leader]]s, groups of nations formed confederations. When the [[Incas]] arrived, they found that these confederations were so developed that it took the Incas two generations of rulers—[[Topa Inca Yupanqui]] and [[Huayna Capac]]—to absorb them into the [[Inca Empire]]. People belonging to the confederations that gave them the most problems were deported to distant areas of Peru, Bolivia, and north Argentina. Similarly, a number of loyal Inca subjects from Peru and Bolivia were brought to Ecuador to prevent rebellion. Thus, the region of highland Ecuador became part of the [[Inca Empire]] in 1463 sharing the same language.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rostworowski |first=María |title=Pachacútec Inca Yupanqui}}</ref> In contrast, when the Incas made incursions into coastal Ecuador and the eastern Amazon jungles of Ecuador, they found both the environment and indigenous people more hostile. Moreover, when the Incas tried to subdue them, these indigenous people withdrew to the interior and resorted to [[guerrilla]] tactics. As a result, Inca expansion into the Amazon Basin and the Pacific coast of Ecuador was hampered. The indigenous people of the Amazon jungle and coastal Ecuador remained relatively autonomous until the Spanish soldiers and missionaries arrived in force. The Amazonian people and the [[Chachi people|Cayapas]] of Coastal Ecuador were the only groups to resist both Inca and Spanish domination, maintaining their languages and cultures well into the 21st century.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rostworowski |first=María |title=History of the Inca Realm |publisher=Cambridge University Press |translator-last=B. Iceland |translator-first=Harry}}</ref> Before the arrival of the Spaniards, the Inca Empire was involved in a [[Inca Civil War|civil war]]. The untimely death of both the heir [[Ninan Cuyochi]] and the Emperor Huayna Capac, from a European disease that spread into Ecuador, created a power vacuum between two factions and led to a civil war.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Cabello de Balboa |first=Miguel |title=Miscelánea antártica}}</ref> The army stationed north<ref>{{Cite book |last=Cieza de León |first=Pedro |title=El Señorio de los Incas}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Sarmiento de Gamboa |first=Pedro |title=Historia de los Incas}}</ref> headed by Atahualpa marched south to Cuzco and massacred the royal family associated with his brother. In 1532, a small band of Spaniards headed by Francisco Pizarro reached [[Cajamarca]] and lured Atahualpa into a trap ([[battle of Cajamarca]]). [[Pizarro]] promised to release Atahualpa if he made good his promise of filling a room full of gold. But, after a mock trial, the Spaniards executed Atahualpa by strangulation.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Favre |first=Henri |title=Les Incas |publisher=Presses Universitaires de France}}</ref> ===Spanish colonization=== [[File:Roof deck (Palacio de Pizarro), Plaza de la Independencia (Quito), pic.aa4.jpg|thumb|The colonial [[Quito]], capital of the [[Real Audiencia of Quito]], today a UNESCO World Heritage Site.]] New infectious diseases such as [[smallpox]], endemic to the Europeans, caused high fatalities among the Amerindian population during the first decades of Spanish rule, as they had no [[immunity (medical)|immunity]]. At the same time, the natives were forced into the ''[[encomienda]]'' labor system for the Spanish. In 1563, [[Quito]] became the seat of a [[Royal Audience of Quito|real audiencia]] (administrative district) of Spain and part of the [[Viceroyalty of Peru]] and later the [[Viceroyalty of New Granada]]. The [[1797 Riobamba earthquake]], which caused up to 40,000 casualties, was studied by [[Alexander von Humboldt]], when he visited the area in 1801–1802.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Lavilla|first=E.O.|year=2004|title=Under the Southern Cross: Stories around Humboldt and Bonpland's trip to the New Continent|journal=Latin American Applied Research|volume=34|pages=203–208|url=http://www.scielo.org.ar/pdf/laar/v34n4/v34n4a01.pdf|access-date=22 August 2010|archive-date=19 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719230708/http://www.scielo.org.ar/pdf/laar/v34n4/v34n4a01.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> After nearly 300 years of Spanish rule, Quito still remained small with a population of 10,000 people. On 10 August 1809, the city's ''[[Criollo people|criollos]]'' called for independence from Spain (first among the peoples of Latin America). They were led by Juan Pío Montúfar, Quiroga, Salinas, and Bishop Cuero y Caicedo. Quito's nickname, "''[[Luz de América]]''" ("Light of America"), is based on its leading role in trying to secure an independent, local government. Although the new government lasted no more than two months, it had important repercussions and was an inspiration for the independence movement of the rest of Spanish America. Today, 10 August is celebrated as Independence Day, a [[Public holidays in Ecuador|national holiday]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/editoriales/19/ecuador-en-el-dia-de-la-independencia-nacional |title=Ecuador en el día de la Independencia nacional |date=10 August 2017 |work=El Telégrafo |access-date=8 August 2018 |language=es-es |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808202916/https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/editoriales/19/ecuador-en-el-dia-de-la-independencia-nacional |archive-date=8 August 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> ===Independence=== {{Main|Ecuadorian War of Independence}} [[File:Jose Antonio de Sucre.JPG|thumb|upright|Venezuelan independence hero [[Antonio José de Sucre]]]] [[File:Entrevista de Guayaquil.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Guayaquil Conference]] between the two main Hispanic South American independence heroes, in which they debated, [[José de San Martín|San Martín]] wanted a monarchical unified South America, while [[Simón Bolívar|Bolívar]] wanted a republican unified South America.]] On 9 October 1820, the Department of [[Guayaquil]] became the first territory in Ecuador to gain its independence from Spain, and it spawned most of the Ecuadorian coastal provinces, establishing itself as an independent state. Its inhabitants celebrated what is now Ecuador's official Independence Day on 24 May 1822. The rest of Ecuador gained its independence after [[Antonio José de Sucre]] defeated the Spanish Royalist forces at the [[Battle of Pichincha]], near [[Quito]]. Following the battle, Ecuador joined [[Simón Bolívar]]'s [[Republic of Gran Colombia]], also including modern-day [[Colombia]], [[Venezuela]], and [[Panama]]. In 1830, Ecuador separated from Gran Colombia and became an independent republic. Two years later, it annexed the [[Galapagos Islands]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.presidencia.gob.ec/galapagos-celebra-un-ano-mas-de-provincializacion/ |title=Galápagos celebra un año más de provincialización |publisher=Presidencia de la República del Ecuador |language=es |access-date=19 August 2021 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160221201905/http://www.presidencia.gob.ec:80/galapagos-celebra-un-ano-mas-de-provincializacion/ |archive-date=21 February 2016 }}</ref> The 19th century was marked by instability for Ecuador with a rapid succession of rulers. The first president of Ecuador was the Venezuelan-born [[Juan José Flores]], who was ultimately deposed. Leaders who followed him included [[Vicente Rocafuerte]]; [[José Joaquín de Olmedo]]; [[José María Urbina]]; [[Diego Noboa]]; [[Pedro José de Arteta]]; [[Manuel de Ascásubi]]; and Flores's own son, [[Antonio Flores Jijón]], among others. The conservative [[Gabriel García Moreno]] unified the country in the 1860s with the support of the Roman Catholic Church. In the late 19th century, world demand for [[Cocoa bean|cocoa]] tied the economy to commodity exports and led to migrations from the highlands to the agricultural frontier on the coast. Ecuador [[Abolition of slavery timeline|abolished]] [[Slavery in Latin America|slavery]] in 1851.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cidcm.umd.edu/mar/assessment.asp?groupId=13001 |title=Assessment for Blacks in Ecuador |publisher=CIDCM |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120622220302/http://www.cidcm.umd.edu/mar/assessment.asp?groupId=13001 |archive-date=22 June 2012 }}</ref> The descendants of enslaved Ecuadorians are among today's [[Afro-Ecuadorian]] population. ===Liberal Revolution=== {{Main|Liberal Revolution of 1895}} The Liberal Revolution of 1895 under [[Eloy Alfaro]] reduced the power of the clergy and the conservative land owners. This liberal wing retained power until the military "Julian Revolution" of 1925. The 1930s and 1940s were marked by instability and emergence of populist politicians, such as five-time President [[José María Velasco Ibarra]]. ===Loss of claimed territories since 1830=== {{Main|Ecuadorian–Peruvian territorial dispute}} {{Campaignbox Ecuadorian-Peruvian}} After Ecuador's separation from Colombia on 13 May 1830, its first President, General [[Juan José Flores]], laid claim to the territory that had belonged to the [[Real Audiencia of Quito]], also referred to as the Presidencia of Quito. He supported his claims with Spanish Royal decrees, or ''real cedulas'', that delineated the borders of Spain's former overseas colonies. In the case of Ecuador, Flores based Ecuador's ''[[de jure]]'' claims on the Real Cedulas of 1563, 1739, and 1740; with modifications in the Amazon Basin and Andes Mountains that were introduced through the [[Treaty of Guayaquil]] (1829) which Peru reluctantly signed, after the overwhelmingly outnumbered Gran Colombian force led by [[Antonio José de Sucre]] defeated President and General La Mar's Peruvian invasion force in the [[Battle of Tarqui]]. In addition, Ecuador's eastern border with the Portuguese colony of Brazil in the Amazon Basin was modified before the Wars of Independence by the [[First Treaty of San Ildefonso]] (1777) between the [[Spanish Empire]] and the [[Portuguese Empire]]. Moreover, to add legitimacy to his claims, on 16 February 1840, Flores signed a treaty with Spain, whereby Flores convinced Spain to officially recognize Ecuadorian independence and its sole rights to colonial titles over Spain's former colonial territory known anciently to Spain as the Kingdom and Presidency of Quito. Ecuador during its long and turbulent history has lost most of its contested territories to each of its more powerful neighbors, such as Colombia in 1832 and 1916, Brazil in 1904 through a series of peaceful treaties, and Peru after a short war in which the Protocol of Rio de Janeiro was signed in 1942. ===Struggle for independence=== During the [[Spanish American wars of independence|struggle for independence]], before Peru or Ecuador became independent, areas of the former Vice Royalty of New Granada declared themselves independent from Spain. A few months later, a part of the Peruvian liberation army of San Martín decided to occupy the independent cities of Tumbez and Jaén, with the intention of using them as springboards to occupy the independent city of Guayaquil and then liberate the rest of the Audiencia de Quito (Ecuador). It was common knowledge among officers of the liberation army from the south that their leader [[José de San Martín|San Martín]] wished to liberate present-day Ecuador and add it to the future republic of Peru, since it had been part of the Inca Empire before the Spaniards conquered it. However, [[Simón Bolívar|Bolívar]]'s intention was to form a new republic known as the [[Gran Colombia]], out of the liberated Spanish territory of New Granada which consisted of Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador. San Martín's plans were thwarted when Bolívar, descended from the Andes mountains and occupied Guayaquil; they also annexed the newly liberated Audiencia de Quito to the Republic of Gran Colombia. In the south, Ecuador had claims to a small piece of land beside the Pacific Ocean known as [[Tumbes Region|Tumbes]]. In Ecuador's southern Andes Mountain region where the Marañon cuts across, Ecuador had claims to an area it called [[Jaén, Peru|Jaén de Bracamoros]]. These areas were included as part of the territory of Gran Colombia by Bolivar on 17 December 1819, during the [[Congress of Angostura]] when the Republic of Gran Colombia was created. Tumbes declared itself independent from Spain on 17 January 1821, and Jaén de Bracamoros on 17 June 1821, without any outside help from revolutionary armies. However, that same year, Peruvian forces participating in the Trujillo revolution occupied both Jaén and Tumbes. Peruvian generals, without any legal titles backing them up and with Ecuador still federated with the Gran Colombia, had the desire to annex Ecuador to the Republic of Peru at the expense of the Gran Colombia, feeling that Ecuador was once part of the Inca Empire. On 28 July 1821, Peruvian independence was proclaimed in Lima by San Martín, and Tumbes and Jaén, which were included as part of the revolution of Trujillo by the Peruvian occupying force, had the whole region swear allegiance to the new Peruvian flag and incorporated itself into Peru. Gran Colombia had always protested Peru for the return of Jaén and Tumbes for almost a decade, then finally Bolivar after long and futile discussion over the return of Jaén, Tumbes, and part of Mainas, declared war. President and General [[José de La Mar]], who was born in Ecuador, believing his opportunity had come to annex the District of Ecuador to Peru, personally, with a Peruvian force, invaded and occupied Guayaquil and a few cities in the Loja region of southern Ecuador on 28 November 1828. The war ended when an outnumbered southern Gran Colombian army at [[Battle of Tarqui]] on 27 February 1829, led by [[Antonio José de Sucre]], defeated the Peruvian invasion force led by President La Mar. This defeat led to the signing of the Treaty of Guayaquil in September 1829, whereby Peru and its Congress recognized Gran Colombian rights over Tumbes, Jaén, and Maynas. Through meetings between Peru and Gran Colombia, the border was set as Tumbes river in the west, and in the east, the Maranon and Amazon rivers were to be followed toward Brazil as the most natural borders between them. According to the peace negotiations Peru agreed to return Guayaquil, Tumbez, and Jaén; despite this, Peru returned Guayaquil, but failed to return Tumbes and Jaén, alleging that it was not obligated to follow the agreements, since the Gran Colombia ceased to exist when it divided itself into three different nations – Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela. [[File:AGHRC (1890) - Carta XI - División política de Colombia, 1824.jpg|thumb|Map of the former [[Gran Colombia]] in 1824 (named in its time as Colombia), the Gran Colombia covered all the colored region.]] The Central District of the Gran Colombia, known as Cundinamarca or New Granada (modern Colombia) with its capital in Bogota, did not recognize the separation of the Southern District of the Gran Colombia, with its capital in Quito, from the Gran Colombian federation on 13 May 1830. After Ecuador's separation, the [[Department of Cauca]] voluntarily decided to unite itself with Ecuador due to instability in the central government of Bogota. The Venezuelan born President of Ecuador, the general [[Juan José Flores]], with the approval of the Ecuadorian congress annexed the Department of Cauca on 20 December 1830, since the government of Cauca had called for union with the District of the South as far back as April 1830. Moreover, the Cauca region, throughout its long history, had very strong economic and cultural ties with the people of Ecuador. Also, the Cauca region, which included such cities as [[Pasto, Colombia|Pasto]], [[Popayán]], and [[Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca|Buenaventura]], had always been dependent on the Presidencia or Audiencia of Quito. Fruitless negotiations continued between the governments of Bogotá and Quito, where the government of Bogotá did not recognize the separation of Ecuador or that of Cauca from the Gran Colombia until war broke out in May 1832. In five months, New Granada defeated Ecuador due to the fact that the majority of the Ecuadorian Armed Forces were composed of rebellious angry unpaid veterans from Venezuela and Colombia that did not want to fight against their fellow countrymen. Seeing that his officers were rebelling, mutinying, and changing sides, President Flores had no option but to reluctantly make peace with New Granada. The Treaty of Pasto of 1832 was signed by which the Department of Cauca was turned over to New Granada (modern Colombia), the government of Bogotá recognized Ecuador as an independent country and the border was to follow the Ley de División Territorial de la República de Colombia (Law of the Division of Territory of the Gran Colombia) passed on 25 June 1824. This law set the border at the river Carchi and the eastern border that stretched to Brazil at the Caquetá river. Later, Ecuador contended that the Republic of Colombia, while reorganizing its government, unlawfully made its eastern border provisional and that Colombia extended its claims south to the Napo River because it said that the Government of Popayán extended its control all the way to the Napo River. ====Struggle for possession of the Amazon Basin==== [[File:South America 1879.png|thumb|left|South America (1879): All land claims by Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia in 1879]] When Ecuador seceded from the Gran Colombia, Peru contested Ecuador's claims with the newly discovered ''Real Cedula'' of 1802, by which Peru claims the King of Spain had transferred these lands from the Viceroyalty of New Granada to the Viceroyalty of Peru. During colonial times this was to halt the ever-expanding Portuguese settlements into Spanish domains, which were left vacant and in disorder after the expulsion of Jesuit missionaries from their bases along the Amazon Basin. Ecuador countered by labeling the Cedula of 1802 an ecclesiastical instrument, which had nothing to do with political borders. Peru began its de facto occupation of disputed Amazonian territories, after it signed a secret 1851 peace treaty in favor of Brazil. This treaty disregarded Spanish rights that were confirmed during colonial times by a Spanish-Portuguese treaty over the Amazon regarding territories held by illegal Portuguese settlers. Peru began occupying the missionary villages in the Mainas or Maynas region, which it began calling Loreto, with its capital in [[Iquitos]]. During its negotiations with Brazil, Peru claimed Amazonian Basin territories up to Caqueta River in the north and toward the Andes Mountain range. Colombia protested stating that its claims extended south toward the Napo and Amazon Rivers. Ecuador protested that it claimed the Amazon Basin between the Caqueta river and the Marañon-Amazon river. Peru ignored these protests and created the Department of Loreto in 1853 with its capital in Iquitos. Peru briefly occupied Guayaquil again in 1860, since Peru thought that Ecuador was selling some of the disputed land for development to British bond holders, but returned Guayaquil after a few months. The border dispute was then submitted to Spain for arbitration from 1880 to 1910, but to no avail.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Zook |first1=David H. |title=Zarumilla-Marañón: the Ecuador-Peru dispute |date=1964 |publisher=New York, Bookman Associates |location=New York |pages=15–36 |edition=First}}</ref> In the early part of the 20th century, Ecuador made an effort to peacefully define its eastern Amazonian borders with its neighbours through negotiation. On 6 May 1904, Ecuador signed the Tobar-Rio Branco Treaty recognizing Brazil's claims to the Amazon in recognition of Ecuador's claim to be an Amazonian country to counter Peru's earlier Treaty with Brazil back on 23 October 1851. Then after a few meetings with the Colombian government's representatives an agreement was reached and the Muñoz Vernaza-Suarez Treaty was signed 15 July 1916, in which Colombian rights to the Putumayo river were recognized as well as Ecuador's rights to the Napo river and the new border was a line that ran midpoint between those two rivers. In this way, Ecuador gave up the claims it had to the Amazonian territories between the Caquetá River and Napo River to Colombia, thus cutting itself off from Brazil. Later, a brief war erupted between Colombia and Peru, over Peru's claims to the Caquetá region, which ended with Peru reluctantly signing the Salomon-Lozano Treaty on 24 March 1922. Ecuador protested this secret treaty, since Colombia gave away Ecuadorian claimed land to Peru that Ecuador had given to Colombia in 1916. On 21 July 1924, the Ponce-Castro Oyanguren Protocol was signed between Ecuador and Peru where both agreed to hold direct negotiations and to resolve the dispute in an equitable manner and to submit the differing points of the dispute to the United States for arbitration. Negotiations between the Ecuadorian and Peruvian representatives began in Washington on 30 September 1935. The negotiations turned into arguments during the next 7 months and finally on 29 September 1937, the Peruvian representatives decided to break off the negotiations.{{citation needed|date=April 2022}} In 1941, amid fast-growing tensions within disputed territories around the Zarumilla River, war broke out with Peru. Peru claimed that Ecuador's military presence in Peruvian-claimed territory was an invasion; Ecuador, for its part, claimed that Peru had recently invaded Ecuador around the Zarumilla River and that Peru since Ecuador's independence from Spain has systematically occupied Tumbez, Jaén, and most of the disputed territories in the Amazonian Basin between the Putomayo and Marañon Rivers. In July 1941, troops were mobilized in both countries. Peru had an army of 11,681 troops who faced a poorly supplied and inadequately armed Ecuadorian force of 2,300, of which only 1,300 were deployed in the southern provinces. Hostilities erupted on 5 July 1941, when Peruvian forces crossed the Zarumilla river at several locations, testing the strength and resolve of the Ecuadorian border troops. Finally, on 23 July 1941, the Peruvians launched a major invasion, crossing the Zarumilla river in force and advancing into the Ecuadorian province of [[El Oro Province|El Oro]]. [[File:Ecuador-peru-land-claims-01.png|thumb|left|Map of Ecuadorian land claims after 1916]] During the course of the [[Ecuadorian–Peruvian War]], Peru gained control over part of the disputed territory and some parts of the province of El Oro, and some parts of the [[Loja Province|province of Loja]], demanding that the Ecuadorian government give up its territorial claims. The Peruvian Navy blocked the port of [[Guayaquil]], almost cutting all supplies to the Ecuadorian troops. After a few weeks of war and under pressure by the United States and several Latin American nations, all fighting came to a stop. Ecuador and Peru came to an accord formalized in the [[Rio Protocol]], signed on 29 January 1942, in favor of hemispheric unity against the [[Axis Powers]] in [[World War II]] favoring Peru with the territory they occupied at the time the war came to an end. The 1944 [[Glorious May Revolution]] followed a military-civilian rebellion and a subsequent civic strike which successfully removed Carlos Arroyo del Río as a dictator from Ecuador's government. However, a post-Second World War recession and popular unrest led to a return to populist politics and domestic military interventions in the 1960s, while foreign companies developed oil resources in the Ecuadorian Amazon. In 1972, construction of the Andean pipeline was completed. The pipeline brought oil from the east side of the Andes to the coast, making Ecuador South America's second largest oil exporter. In 1978, the city of [[Quito]] and the [[Galápagos Islands]] were inscribed as [[UNESCO World Heritage Sites]], making the first two properties in the world to become listed sites. [[File:Relevo-ecu.JPG|thumb|Ecuadorian troops during the [[Cenepa War]]]] [[File:Mirage F.1JA.JPG|thumb|The [[Dassault Mirage F1|Mirage F.1JA]] (FAE-806) was one aircraft involved in the claimed shooting down of two Peruvian [[Sukhoi Su-22]] on 10 February 1995.]] The [[Rio Protocol]] failed to precisely resolve the border along a little river in the remote ''Cordillera del Cóndor'' region in southern Ecuador. This caused a long-simmering dispute between Ecuador and Peru, which ultimately led to fighting between the two countries; first a border skirmish in January–February 1981 known as the [[Paquisha Incident]], and ultimately full-scale warfare in January 1995 where the Ecuadorian military shot down Peruvian aircraft and helicopters and Peruvian infantry marched into southern Ecuador. Each country blamed the other for the onset of hostilities, known as the [[Cenepa War]]. [[Sixto Durán Ballén]], the Ecuadorian president, famously declared that he would not give up a single centimeter of Ecuador. Popular sentiment in Ecuador became strongly [[nationalism|nationalistic]] against Peru: graffiti could be seen on the walls of Quito referring to Peru as the "''Cain de Latinoamérica''", a reference to the murder of [[Abel]] by his brother [[Cain]] in the [[Book of Genesis]].<ref>Roos, Wilma and van Renterghem, Omer ''Ecuador'', New York, 2000, p.5.</ref> Ecuador and Peru signed the [[Brasilia Presidential Act]] peace agreement on 26 October 1998, which ended hostilities, and effectively put an end to the Western Hemisphere's longest running territorial dispute.<ref name="ucdp.uu.se">{{cite web|title=Uppsala Conflict Data Program – Conflict Encyclopedia, General Conflict Information, Conflict name: Ecuador – Peru, In depth, Background to the 1995 fighting and Ecuador and Peru engage in armed conflict|access-date=15 July 2013|url=http://www.ucdp.uu.se/gpdatabase/gpcountry.php?id=126®ionSelect=5-Southern_Americas#|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927150723/http://www.ucdp.uu.se/gpdatabase/gpcountry.php?id=126®ionSelect=5-Southern_Americas|archive-date=27 September 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Guarantors of the [[Rio Protocol]] (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and the United States of America) ruled that the border of the undelineated zone was to be set at the line of the ''Cordillera del Cóndor''. While Ecuador had to give up its decades-old territorial claims to the eastern slopes of the Cordillera, as well as to the entire western area of Cenepa headwaters, Peru was compelled to give to Ecuador, in perpetual lease but without sovereignty, {{convert|1|km2|abbr=on|sp=us}} of its territory, in the area where the Ecuadorian base of Tiwinza – focal point of the war – had been located within Peruvian soil and which the Ecuadorian Army held during the conflict. The final border demarcation came into effect on 13 May 1999, and the multi-national MOMEP (Military Observer Mission for Ecuador and Peru) troop deployment withdrew on 17 June 1999.<ref name="ucdp.uu.se"/> ===Military governments (1972–79)=== In 1972, a "revolutionary and nationalist" military [[military dictatorship|junta]] overthrew the government of Velasco Ibarra. The [[coup d'état]] was led by General [[Guillermo Rodríguez (politician)|Guillermo Rodríguez]] and executed by navy commander Jorge Queirolo G. The new president exiled José María Velasco to Argentina. He remained in power until 1976, when he was removed by another military government. That military junta was led by Admiral [[Alfredo Poveda]], who was declared chairman of the Supreme Council. The Supreme Council included two other members: General Guillermo Durán Arcentales and General Luis Pintado. The civil society more and more insistently called for democratic elections. Colonel [[Richelieu Levoyer]], Government Minister, proposed and implemented a Plan to return to the constitutional system through universal elections. This plan enabled the new democratically elected president to assume the duties of the executive office. === Return to democracy (1979–present) === {{See also|History of Ecuador (1990–present)}} Elections were held on 29 April 1979, under a new constitution. [[Jaime Roldós Aguilera]] was elected president, garnering over one million votes, the most in Ecuadorian history. He took office on 10 August as the first constitutionally elected president, after nearly a decade of civilian and military dictatorships. In 1980, he founded the ''Partido Pueblo, Cambio y Democracia'' (People, Change, and Democracy Party) after withdrawing from the ''Concentración de Fuerzas Populares'' (Popular Forces Concentration). He governed until 24 May 1981, when he died, along with his wife and the minister of defense [[Marco Subia Martinez]], when his Air Force plane crashed in heavy rain near the Peruvian border. Many people believe that he was assassinated by the CIA,<ref>{{cite web|website=Films For Action|title=Apology Of An Economic Hitman (2010)|url=https://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/apology-of-an-economic-hitman/|access-date=21 September 2021|archive-date=21 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921085826/https://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/apology-of-an-economic-hitman/|url-status=live}}</ref> given the multiple death threats against him because of his reformist agenda, the deaths in automobile crashes of two key witnesses before they could testify during the investigation, and the sometimes contradictory accounts of the incident. Roldos was immediately succeeded by Vice President Osvaldo Hurtado. In 1984 [[León Febres Cordero]] from the Social Christian Party was elected president. [[Rodrigo Borja Cevallos]] of the Democratic Left (Izquierda Democrática, or ID) party won the presidency in 1988, winning the runoff election against [[Abdalá Bucaram]] (brother in law of [[Jaime Roldos]] and founder of the Ecuadorian Roldosist Party). His government was committed to improving human rights protection and carried out some reforms, notably an opening of Ecuador to foreign trade. The Borja government negotiated the disbanding of the small terrorist group, "[[¡Alfaro Vive, Carajo!]]" ("Alfaro Lives, Dammit!"), named after [[Eloy Alfaro]]. However, continuing economic problems undermined the popularity of the ID party, and opposition parties gained control of Congress in 1999.[[File:CAMBIO DE GUARDIA.jpg|thumb|President [[Lenín Moreno]], first lady [[Rocío González Navas]] and his predecessor [[Rafael Correa]], 3 April 2017|250x250px]] A notable event was the [[Cenepa War]] fought between Ecuador and Peru in 1995. Ecuador adopted the [[United States dollar]] on 13 April 2000 as its national currency and on 11 September, the country eliminated the [[Ecuadorian sucre]], in order to stabilize the [[Economy of Ecuador|country's economy]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Outsourcing the Money Supply |url=https://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/eric-schnurer/2014/05/02/why-ecuador-and-other-states-dont-use-their-own-money |date=2 May 2014 |first=Eric |last=Schnurer |website=U.S. News & World Report |access-date=18 May 2022 |archive-date=18 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220518172304/https://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/eric-schnurer/2014/05/02/why-ecuador-and-other-states-dont-use-their-own-money |url-status=live }}</ref> The US Dollar has been the only official currency of Ecuador since then.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ecuador's one and only official currency is the US Dollar |url=https://peopleplacesandthoughts.com/home/2019/5/24/ecuadors-one-and-only-official-currency-is-the-us-dollar |website=People Places and Thoughts |date=24 May 2019 |first=Patrick James |last=Kapche |access-date=5 October 2022 |archive-date=5 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221005184217/https://peopleplacesandthoughts.com/home/2019/5/24/ecuadors-one-and-only-official-currency-is-the-us-dollar |url-status=live }}</ref> The emergence of the Amerindian population as an active constituency has added to the democratic volatility of the country in recent years. The population has been motivated by government failures to deliver on promises of land reform, lower unemployment and provision of social services, and the historical exploitation by the land-holding elite. Their movement, along with the continuing destabilizing efforts by both the elite and leftist movements, has led to a deterioration of the executive office. The populace and the other branches of government give the president very little political capital, as illustrated by the most recent removal of President [[Lucio Gutiérrez]] from office by Congress in April 2005.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ecuador Congress ousts president |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2005/4/21/ecuador-congress-ousts-president |work=Al Jazeera |language=en |access-date=15 August 2022 |archive-date=15 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220815073212/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2005/4/21/ecuador-congress-ousts-president |url-status=live }}</ref> Vice President [[Alfredo Palacio]] took his place<ref>{{cite news |last1=Forero |first1=Juan |title=Ecuador's New Chief Picks Cabinet; Leftist in Economic Post |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/22/world/americas/ecuadors-new-chief-picks-cabinet-leftist-in-economic-post.html |work=The New York Times |date=22 April 2005 |access-date=15 August 2022 |archive-date=15 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220815075038/https://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/22/world/americas/ecuadors-new-chief-picks-cabinet-leftist-in-economic-post.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In the [[Ecuadorian general election, 2006|election of 2006]], [[Rafael Correa]] gained the presidency.<ref>{{cite news |title=Leftist rolling to victory in Ecuador's presidential race |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-nov-27-fg-ecuador27-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |date=27 November 2006 |access-date=15 August 2022 |archive-date=15 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220815075038/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-nov-27-fg-ecuador27-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In January 2007, several left-wing political leaders of Latin America, his future allies, attended his swearing-in ceremony.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ecuador's new president sworn in |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2007/1/16/ecuadors-new-president-sworn-in |work=Al Jazeera |language=en |access-date=15 August 2022 |archive-date=15 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220815064714/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2007/1/16/ecuadors-new-president-sworn-in |url-status=live }}</ref> Endorsed in a [[2008 Ecuadorian constitutional referendum|2008 referendum]], a [[2008 Constitution of Ecuador|new constitution]] implemented leftist reforms.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ecuador referendum endorses new constitution |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global/2008/sep/29/ecuador |work=The Guardian |date=29 September 2008 |language=en |access-date=15 August 2022 |archive-date=15 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220815065412/https://www.theguardian.com/global/2008/sep/29/ecuador |url-status=live }}</ref> In December 2008, Correa declared Ecuador's [[national debt]] illegitimate, based on the argument that it was [[odious debt]] contracted by prior corrupt and despotic regimes. He announced that the country would default on over $3 billion worth of bonds, and he succeeded in reducing the price of outstanding bonds by more than 60% by fighting creditors in [[international court]]s.<ref name="TRN2009Win">''[https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20171010140108/http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=3622 "Avenger against oligarchy" wins in Ecuador]'' [[The Real News]], 27 April 2009.</ref> He brought Ecuador into the [[Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas]] in June 2009. Correa's administration reduced the high levels of poverty and unemployment in Ecuador.<ref name="Romero">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/27/world/americas/27ecuador.html | work=[[The New York Times]] | first=Simon | last=Romero | title=Ecuador Re-elects President, Preliminary Results Show | date=27 April 2009 | access-date=24 February 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170627001457/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/27/world/americas/27ecuador.html | archive-date=27 June 2017 | url-status=live | df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref name="Most Popular E-mail Newsletter">{{cite news | url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2011-05-07-ecuador-referendum_n.htm | work=USA Today | title=Most Popular E-mail Newsletter | date=7 May 2011 | access-date=26 August 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120922000423/http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2011-05-07-ecuador-referendum_n.htm | archive-date=22 September 2012 | url-status=live | df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://voxxi.com/public-spending-fuels-ecuador-leaders-popularity-americas/ |title=Public spending fuels Ecuador leader's popularity |publisher=Voxxi.com |date=25 January 2012 |access-date=4 September 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512090555/http://www.voxxi.com/public-spending-fuels-ecuador-leaders-popularity-americas/ |archive-date=12 May 2013 }}</ref><ref>[http://neweconomicperspectives.org/2013/02/correas-and-ecuadors-success-drive-the-economist-nuts.html "Correa's and Ecuador's Success drive The Economist Nuts"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150416163627/http://neweconomicperspectives.org/2013/02/correas-and-ecuadors-success-drive-the-economist-nuts.html |date=16 April 2015 }}. ''New Economic Perspectives''.</ref><ref> [http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=9717 Correa wins re-election and says banks and mass media don't rule anymore] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150318001316/http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=9717 |date=18 March 2015 }}. ''[[The Real News]]''. 19 February 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2014. * "Unemployment hit a record low of 4.1 percent at the end of last year. Poverty's down about 27 percent since he took office". – [[Mark Weisbrot]], co-director of [[Center for Economic and Policy Research]] </ref> Correa's three consecutive terms (from 2007 to 2017) were followed by his former Vice President [[Lenín Moreno]]'s four years as president (2017–21). After being elected in 2017, President Moreno's government adopted [[economic liberalism|economically liberal]] policies, such as reduction of [[public spending]], [[trade liberalization]], and flexibility of the labour code. Ecuador also left the left-wing [[Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas]] (Alba) in August 2018.<ref>In August 2018, Ecuador withdrew from Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (Alba), a regional bloc of leftwing governments led by Venezuela.</ref> The Productive Development Act introduced an austerity policy, and reduced the previous development and redistribution policies. Regarding taxes, the authorities aimed to "encourage the return of investors" by granting amnesty to fraudsters and proposing measures to reduce [[Corporate tax|tax rates for large companies]]. In addition, the government waived the right to tax increases in raw material prices and foreign exchange repatriations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?article46999|title=Équateur : Lenín Moreno et le néolibéralisme par surprise – Europe Solidaire Sans Frontières|website=www.europe-solidaire.org|access-date=11 July 2019|archive-date=6 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191006044917/http://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?article46999|url-status=live}}</ref> In October 2018, Moreno cut diplomatic relations with the [[Nicolás Maduro|Maduro]] administration of Venezuela, a close ally of Correa.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://en.mercopress.com/2018/10/19/ecuador-venezuela-sever-diplomatic-ties-due-to-improper-accusations|title=Ecuador, Venezuela sever diplomatic ties due to improper accusations|access-date=25 March 2021|archive-date=13 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413195701/https://en.mercopress.com/2018/10/19/ecuador-venezuela-sever-diplomatic-ties-due-to-improper-accusations|url-status=live}}</ref> The relations with the United States improved significantly under Moreno. In June 2019, Ecuador agreed to allow US military planes to operate from an airport on the Galapagos Islands.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 June 2019 |title=Outcry as Ecuador allows US military to use Galapagos airstrip |url=https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/ecuador-galapagos-us-military-scli-intl/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413195725/https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/ecuador-galapagos-us-military-scli-intl/index.html |archive-date=13 April 2021 |access-date=25 March 2021}}</ref> In February 2020, his visit to Washington was the first meeting between an Ecuadorian and U.S. president in 17 years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latinousa.org/2020/02/13/trumpleninmoreno/|title=Trump Receives Ecuadorian President Lenín Moreno|date=13 February 2020|access-date=25 March 2021|archive-date=13 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413195854/https://www.latinousa.org/2020/02/13/trumpleninmoreno/|url-status=live}}</ref> A [[2019 Ecuadorian protests|series of protests]] began on 3 October 2019 against the end of fuel [[Subsidy|subsidies]] and [[Austerity|austerity measures]] adopted by Moreno. On 10 October, protesters overran the capital Quito causing the Government of Ecuador to relocate to [[Guayaquil]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/ecuadors-leader-moves-government-seat-clashes-escalate-66134866|title=Protesters move into Ecuador's capital; president moves out|website=ABC News|access-date=10 October 2019|archive-date=10 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191010133827/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/ecuadors-leader-moves-government-seat-clashes-escalate-66134866|url-status=live}}</ref> but later returned to Quito.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-10-09/ecuador-government-returns-to-capital-amid-national-strike?srnd=markets-vp|title=Ecuador Government Returns to Capital Amid National Strike|last=Kueffner|first=tephan|date=10 October 2019|work=Bloomberg|access-date=10 October 2019}}</ref> On 14 October 2019, the government restored fuel subsidies and withdrew an austerity package, which ended nearly two weeks of protests.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ecuador repeals law ending fuel subsidies in deal to stop protests |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-50038126 |work=BBC News |date=14 October 2019 |access-date=3 March 2022 |archive-date=3 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220303200509/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-50038126 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[File:TRANSMISIÓN DE MANDO PRESIDENCIAL (23-11-2023) 05.jpg|thumb|250x250px|Outgoing President [[Guillermo Lasso]] (center) with President-elect [[Daniel Noboa]] (right) at the latter's inauguration in November 2023.]] In the 11 April 2021 [[2021 Ecuadorian general election|election]], conservative former banker [[Guillermo Lasso]] took 52.4% of the vote, compared to 47.6% for left-wing economist [[Andrés Aráuz]], who was supported by exiled former president Correa. Lasso had finished second in the 2013 and 2017 presidential elections.<ref>{{Cite news|url = https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-56713570|title = Guillermo Lasso: Conservative ex-banker elected Ecuador president|work = BBC News|date = 12 April 2021|access-date = 14 April 2021|archive-date = 14 April 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210414140155/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-56713570|url-status = live}}</ref> On 24 May 2021, Lasso was sworn in, becoming the country's first right-wing leader in 14 years.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210524-lasso-inaugurated-as-first-right-wing-ecuador-president-in-14-years |title=Lasso inaugurated as first right-wing Ecuador president in 14 years |work=France24 |agency=Agence France Presse |date=24 May 2021 |access-date=19 August 2021 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210524195101/https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210524-lasso-inaugurated-as-first-right-wing-ecuador-president-in-14-years |archive-date=24 May 2021 }}</ref> Lasso's party [[CREO (Ecuadorian Movement)|CREO]] Movement, and its ally the Social Christian Party (PSC) won only 31 parliamentary seats out of 137, while Aráuz's Union for Hope (UNES) won 49 seats, which meant Lasso needed support from the Izquierda Democrática and the indigenist [[Pachakutik Plurinational Unity Movement – New Country|Pachakutik]] parties to push through his legislative agenda.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://atalayar.com/en/content/len%C3%ADn-morenos-legacy-guillermo-lasso-ecuador |title=Lenín Moreno's legacy to Guillermo Lasso in Ecuador |work=Atalayar.com |last=García |first=Alberto |date=16 April 2021 |access-date=19 August 2021 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121120130/https://atalayar.com/en/content/len%C3%ADn-morenos-legacy-guillermo-lasso-ecuador |archive-date=21 November 2021 }}</ref> In October 2021, Lasso declared a 60-day state of emergency to combat crime and drug-related violence,<ref>{{cite news |title=Ecuador president declares state of emergency over drug violence |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/10/19/ecuador-president-declares-state-of-emergency-over-drug-violence |work=Al Jazeera |language=en |access-date=3 March 2022 |archive-date=5 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220305020720/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/10/19/ecuador-president-declares-state-of-emergency-over-drug-violence |url-status=live }}</ref> including the numerous bloody clashes between rival groups in the state prisons.<ref>{{cite news |title=Drug capo among 16 dead in bloody Ecuador prison riot |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/drug-capo-among-16-dead-in-bloody-ecuador-prison-riot/2022/10/04/fc28fee6-443a-11ed-be17-89cbe6b8c0a5_story.html |newspaper=Washington Post}}</ref> Lasso proposed a series of constitutional changes to enhance his government's ability to respond to crime. In a [[2023 Ecuadorian constitutional referendum|referendum]] in February 2023, voters overwhelmingly rejected his proposed changes, which weakened Lasso's political standing.<ref>{{cite web |title="El partido del presidente Lasso ha tenido un desempeño muy deficiente", dice analista |date=6 February 2023 |url=https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/video/referendo-ecuador-elecciones-guillermo-lasso-correismo-sot-cafe/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207011124/https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/video/referendo-ecuador-elecciones-guillermo-lasso-correismo-sot-cafe/ |archive-date=7 February 2023 |accessdate=3 March 2023 |publisher=CNN Español}}</ref> On 15 October 2023, centrist candidate [[Daniel Noboa]] won the premature [[2023 Ecuadorian general election|presidential election]] with 52.3% of the vote against leftist candidate [[Luisa González]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Alvarado |first1=Tara John, Abel |title=Noboa, 35, to become Ecuador's next president following election dominated by spiraling crime |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2023/10/15/americas/ecuador-election-gonzalez-noboa-intl-latam/index.html |work=CNN |date=15 October 2023 |language=en |access-date=29 October 2023 |archive-date=30 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231030144254/https://edition.cnn.com/2023/10/15/americas/ecuador-election-gonzalez-noboa-intl-latam/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> On 23 November 2023, Noboa was sworn in.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Business heir Daniel Noboa sworn in as Ecuador president |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/11/23/millionaire-daniel-noboa-sworn-in-as-ecuador-president |access-date=24 November 2023 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en |archive-date=24 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231124105427/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/11/23/millionaire-daniel-noboa-sworn-in-as-ecuador-president |url-status=live }}</ref> In January 2024, Noboa declared an "[[2024 Ecuadorian conflict|internal armed conflict]]" against organised crime, in response to the escape of imprisoned leader of the [[Los Choneros]] cartel, [[José Adolfo Macías Villamar]] (also known as "Fito"), and an armed attack at a public television channel.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ecuador declares war on armed gangs after TV station attacked on air |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-67930452 |date=9 January 2024 |access-date=12 January 2024 |archive-date=9 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240109235540/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-67930452 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=John |first=Tara |date=9 January 2024 |title=Ecuador declares 'internal armed conflict' as gunmen take over live TV broadcast |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/09/americas/armed-men-interrupt-live-tv-ecuador-intl/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240109233303/https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/09/americas/armed-men-interrupt-live-tv-ecuador-intl/index.html |archive-date=9 January 2024 |access-date=10 January 2024 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. 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