This paper critically analyzes the incorporation and conceptualization of Sumak Kawsay into the Ecuadorian constitution. Its objective is to identify its fundamental principles, ideological tensions (socialist, ecologist, indigenist), discursive challenges, and problems of application in the face of hegemonic development paradigms. The methodology employed is a qualitative documentary analysis of primary sources (constitutional texts, foundational works) and secondary sources (legal pluralism, n…
Read moreThis paper critically analyzes the incorporation and conceptualization of Sumak Kawsay into the Ecuadorian constitution. Its objective is to identify its fundamental principles, ideological tensions (socialist, ecologist, indigenist), discursive challenges, and problems of application in the face of hegemonic development paradigms. The methodology employed is a qualitative documentary analysis of primary sources (constitutional texts, foundational works) and secondary sources (legal pluralism, new constitutionalism), involving argumentative reconstruction and triangulation. The results highlight the formalization of Sumak Kawsay as a constitutional principle that articulates plurinationality and the rights of Pachamama, also noting the coexistence of ideological dimensions that, while enriching, generate friction. It concludes that while Sumak Kawsay offers a valuable ethical framework for rethinking development, its full realization as a viable alternative demands overcoming internal tensions and discursive simplifications to achieve its transformative potential.