Una Lucha Inconclusa

"Una Lucha Inconclusa" is a powerful and uncompromising examination of the Indigenous Peoples' movement of Ecuador—widely regarded as one of the most influential social and political movements in Latin America over the past four decades. Written by Luis Felipe Duchicela, a globally recognized thought leader and advocate for Indigenous rights from the Kichwa-Puruwá nation of Chimborazo, the book offers a rare insider's perspective that is at once analytical, historical, and deeply personal. The Indigenous movement emerged as a grassroots force in the 1970s, shaped by left-leaning intellectuals, progressive clergy, and visionary Indigenous leaders. It introduced two groundbreaking political concepts—plurinationality and interculturality—that fundamentally reshaped national debates on identity, citizenship, democracy, and the nature of the state. Combining a strong vertical leadership with broad horizontal empowerment of Ecuador's thirteen Indigenous nationalities, the movement became a disciplined, peaceful, yet highly effective force capable of mobilizing tens of thousands of people and paralyzing the country on multiple occasions. Through its principal organization, the National Confederation of Indigenous Peoples of Ecuador (CONAIE), the movement exerted unprecedented political influence, contributing to the downfall of at least three governments in the 1990s and early 2000s. It also achieved historic advances, including the recognition of Indigenous territories, languages, cultural identities, and collective rights. The author's analysis is enriched by his direct experience at the highest levels of government. In 1994, under the presidency of Sixto Durán-Ballén, Duchicela became Ecuador's first National Secretary for Indigenous and Afro-Ecuadorian Affairs—a minister-level position created for the first time in the country's history. From this role, he served both as an advocate for Indigenous rights within the Executive Branch and as a critical bridge between the state and the politically powerful Indigenous nationalities. Following his government service, Duchicela was invited to write editorials for El Universo, Ecuador's largest newspaper, where he published regularly between 1995 and 2000. "Una Lucha Inconclusa" brings together a carefully curated selection of these editorials—many written nearly thirty years ago—alongside new analytical essays. Together, they reveal a sobering truth: despite two new constitutions (1998 and 2008), Indigenous Peoples and Afro-Ecuadorians continue to face persistent poverty, limited access to basic services, entrenched racism, discrimination, and the systematic failure to fulfill their constitutional rights. Structured in three major sections—(1) The Indigenous Struggle in Ecuador; (2) Ecuador's Political and Economic Reality; and (3) Global Models and Strategies Applicable to Ecuador—the book argues that Ecuadorian society as a whole, including Indigenous leadership itself, carries a profound debt to history and justice. At the same time, the book is ultimately hopeful. Drawing on concrete experiences from Ecuador and comparative examples from countries as distant as Malaysia and Mauritius, and as close as Panama and Colombia, Duchicela demonstrates that plurinationality and interculturality are not abstract ideals but viable foundations for a modern, inclusive, and truly democratic society. "Una Lucha Inconclusa" is both a tribute and a challenge—and a call to complete a struggle that remains unfinished.