Alcances y límites de la acción de protección frente a políticas públicas: Criterios de la Corte Constitucional del Ecuador

Abstract

Abstract: This research analyzes the criteria developed by the Constitutional Court of Ecuador regarding the *acción de protección* (constitutional protection action) in the context of public policies. The study focuses on determining the scope of constitutional review when the formulation, implementation, or omission of a public policy affects the enjoyment or exercise of rights, while taking into account the administrative, technical, and budgetary competencies assigned to the bodies responsible for formulating and implementing such policies. The study employs a qualitative, documentary, and doctrinal-legal methodology, based on an analysis of regulations, specialized legal scholarship, and selected rulings by the Constitutional Court, thereby identifying key jurisprudential criteria on the subject. The results indicate that the *acción de protección* does not serve as a general mechanism for reviewing public administration; however, it allows for the review of policies and their implementation mechanisms when they infringe upon constitutional rights. The study concludes that judicial intervention must ensure effective protection of rights without unjustifiably usurping the competencies of the bodies responsible for public policies.