Indigenous Autonomies, new forms of political coexistence

Abstract

This study contributes a new perspective on indigenous autonomies based on the specific demands for territory and institutional political transformations in Ecuador and Bolivia. These countries have gone through important changes marked by the leadership of indigenous peoples after reconstituting as Plurinational States. The emergence and confluence of collective actions demand a territorial reordering empowering its organizing struggle towards the possibility of creating indigenous self-government systems. In this way, a political stage opens up which habilitates new struggles for its interpretation and implementation in the Constitution. Methodology: The article combines qualitative documentary research based on bibliographical review and dialogue with direct actors which supports the memories of the debate. Results: Both countries have common elements related to the process of organizational struggle, demands, proposals and especially the right to self-determination among peoples who have promoted state reorganization. Conclusions: The contribution of this analysis leads to consideration of the perceptions of key indigenous social organization and the low level of materialization in the Constitutional text.