El boom del banano en Ecuador: un análisis histórico - económico.

Abstract

Abstract: The banana boom in Ecuador, between 1945 and 1960, represented a historical phenomenon that reshaped the national economy by consolidating bananas as the main export product, displacing cocoa and establishing an agro-export model. This process attracted foreign investment, promoted the modernization of port and road infrastructure, and in turn increased fiscal revenues. At the social level, it generated massive migration from the Andean Sierra to the Coast alongside a proportional increase in agricultural employment, shaping new cultural and territorial dynamics. Methodologically, the study employs a non-experimental design with a historical-descriptive and qualitative approach, complemented by statistical analysis using data from the Banco Central del Ecuador, INEC, and CEPAL. The results show an expansion of exports from 4 to more than 65 million bunches, foreign exchange revenues exceeding 235 million dollars, and a contribution of more than 25% to the 1960 GDP. The theoretical discussion confirms that the banana boom consolidated an unequal, dependent, and primary-export structure, leaving as its legacy a vulnerable economic model that shaped the country s long-term development trajectory.