La evolución del sistema democrático еп el Ecuador (2008- 2021): análisis del rol del CNE y del CPCCS en la participación ciudadana y el fortalecimiento institucional

Abstract

Abstract: The main political processes of recent decades in Ecuador have been shaped by the orientation towards strengthening a democratic system that overcomes the crisis of representation and citizen distrust. This research has analyzed the evolution of the democratic system between 2008 and 2021 through the exercise of citizen participation and institutional strengthening by the National Electoral Council and the Council for Citizen Participation and Social Control. Using a qualitative approach that articulates a descriptive and analytical component, the text has conducted a literature review and a review of regulations, as well as an examination of the most emblematic electoral processes and mechanisms of direct democracy. From a theoretical framework inspired by the principles of representative, participatory, and high-quality democracy, this work highlights the significant gap between the 2008 constitutional design and the subsequent institutional experience. It can be concluded that, while the National Electoral Council (CNE) has ensured the continuity of electoral processes and the Council for Citizen Participation and Social Control (CPCCS) has formalized mechanisms for social control and participation, both have faced constant criticism regarding their independence and politicization, as well as their questionable social legitimacy. Therefore, Ecuadorian democracy has made progress in the area of ​​legal protection of rights, but it maintains serious limitations that constrain citizen trust and institutional strengthening, suggesting the need for reforms to establish a more transparent and viable system.