Ecuador - 66.26
55
The country that angered the world by letting one man live in a building
Ecuador’s largest development in recent years was its relationship with international fugitive, whistleblower, and freedom of the press activist Julian Assange. Ecuador harbored Assange from the United States, United Kingdom, and Sweden (though the Swedish extradition order was eventually dropped) for several years before eventually expelling Assange from the Ecuadorian embassy in London and allowing him to be arrested by British police after a deterioration in relations with Assange. Domestically, Ecuador is defined by its strong economy and human rights rap sheet when compared with the rest of Latin America. However, Ecuador continues to struggle with the same corruption that plagues the rest of Latin America and indigenous Ecuadorians continue to face discrimination. Ecuador’s democracy, while still strong, is not on the same level as Colombia or El Salvador, largely due to government interference in the National Electoral Council (CNE). Ecuador has managed to escape some of the problems that plague its Latin American compatriates but still has a ways to go before matching the likes of Uruguay and Costa Rica.
Human Rights - 74
Ecuador has fully abolished the death penalty. The government has refused to investigate the killings of several activists throughout 2020. Several Amazonian Women Collective members were attacked in 2020, but no investigation was conducted. The government refused to aid indigenous victims of an oil spill. The oil spill polluted rivers used as waterways for several indigenous tribes and the government did not provide aid and refused to hear complaints from community elders. A June 2019 law allows the government to use lethal force against protestors under ambiguous circumstances, but the Constitutional Court suspended the law in July 2021 citing a ruling on its constitutionality. Police brutality in general remains a rampant issue and riot police frequently violently disperse peaceful protests. Ecuador does not have an official policy on homosexuals serving in the military but it is de facto no. Same-sex joint adoption is constitutionally banned but any single person can adopt.
Democracy - 77
The president is directly elected. A 2018 constitutional amendment reinstates term limits, meaning that the president can run for up to two consecutive five-year terms. Parliament is elected through proportional representation. Six seats are elected by Ecuadorians living abroad. The CNE is subject to some interference by the government. Under former president Rafael Correa, the CNE was effectively a government puppet but in recent years the commission has gained some independence. The Social Commitment Force (FCS), a socialist party, was banned from elections and disbanded but reformed as the Citizen’s Revolutionary Party and allowed to participate. Campaign finance laws favor the incumbent, who regularly uses state funds for their campaigns. Ecuador is under a generally strong multi-party system, but political alliances are fragile and coalitions are generally based on personality.
Freedom - 75
The Ecuadorian media environment has opened up since the election of President Moreno. The Correa administration heavily restricted the country’s media environment but the Moreno administration has loosened restrictions on the media and abolished the Superintendent on Information and Communication. Some Correa-era laws against freedom of the press still remain in effect, however. People have occasionally been brought in for questioning over comments on social media. Laws banning such acts as “terrorism,” “sabotage,” and “treason” have overly broad definitions and protests have sometimes been denied assembly permits over such concerns. If a protest turns violent the government has been known to arrest everyone found on the scene en masse, including peaceful protestors and bystanders. Ecuador reformed its drug policy in 2015, restricting legal heroin possession to 0.1 grams, cocaine to two grams, and marijuana to twenty grams. The government is attempting to crack down on “microtraffickers” but many people are in jail for simple possession. Ecuador allows permitless possession of one handgun and one rifle, and a collector’s permit is required to own any more.
Economy - 63
Health - 78
Ecuador has a life expectancy of 77 years and an infant mortality rate of 1.2%. 19.9% of Ecuadorians are obese and 9.1% are malnourished. Ecuadorian health insurance is heavily subsidized with most Ecuadorians paying 30% of the cost of healthcare, the wealthiest paying 50%, and the poorest paying nothing. Ecuador’s hospital system is very strong and provides a quality of care comparable to Western Europe in many cities. 93% of Ecuadorians have access to clean, running water. Ecuador has minor problems with mosquito-borne tropical diseases, namely malaria and dengue. Mosquito-borne illnesses in Ecuador disproportionately affect indigenous people. Ecuador also has minor problems with water-borne diseases, namely Hepatitis A and Typhoid, both of which also disproportionately affect indigenous people.
Corruption - 13
Low-level courts are highly subject to corruption, and higher-level courts are subject to political pressure. The constitutional court is virtually the only court in the country that is not subject to forms of corruption. Police extortion is rampant. Public services must be bribed into action. Indigenous land rights are sometimes not adequately protected, as the government has occasionally appropriated indigenous land to award to mining companies on a few occasions. Tax evasion is infamously easy in Ecuador. One-tenth of companies surveyed by GAN Integrity stated that they work with one or more companies that don’t pay corruption. Ecuador, while not a de jure tax haven, functions as one due to limited enforcement of the country’s tax code. Contracts and licenses are impossible to obtain without bribery. Contracts and licenses are impossible to obtain without bribery. Many mining companies are very close to the government. Parliament regularly passes budgets with bizarre, unexplained gaps in spending.
Competency - 55
The government is failing to protect and provide for indigenous people. The government is also failing to control disease, as in many indigenous communities illnesses more common to the third world are allowed to proliferate. Corruption remains a persistent issue.
Future - 65
The Ecuadorian economy has been stagnant, and even before then, it has not grown at the same rate as its neighbors. However, the new Morena administration presents a positive change away from the outgoing Correa administration.
Actions Abroad - 50
Ecuador maintains close relations with China as part of the Belt and Road Initiative. Ecuador has several additional bilateral treaties with China and receives a significant amount of foreign investment.
Ecuador has an international poverty rate of 2.2% and a national poverty rate of 25.6%. 6.23% of Ecuadorians are unemployed. Ecuador has a very high economic disparity. The minimum wage in Ecuador is $415 per month. Health insurance in Ecuador is heavily subsidized, with most Ecuadorians paying 30% of the cost, while the poorest pay nothing and the wealthiest pay 50%. Ecuador has a very strong healthcare system, with some cities providing care comparable to France or Germany. Ecuador’s economy shrunk 7.8% in 2020 and stagnated in 2019. Prior to 2019, the Ecuadorian economy had been experiencing slow growth for several years.