Language and (de) coloniality in the process of recognition of kichwa in the Ecuadorian Constitution of 2008
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22456/1982-6524.141201Abstract
Language and (de) coloniality in the process of recognition of kichwa in the Ecuadorian Constitution of 2008 Abstract: In this article, the authors analyze the relationships between language and (de) coloniality in the process of recognizing the kichwa language in the Ecuadorian Constitution of 2008. The recognition of an indigenous language in the Supreme Law represents a break with a certain logic of domination, represented by the imposition of the Spanish language on the entire population of the country, including the indigenous peoples established there. For this purpose, the role of language in establishing structures of domination and subalternization of indigenous peoples to the logic of the national state is analyzed. The historical background and demands for linguistic decolonization in proposals advocated by indigenous and peasant movements in the Ecuadorian Constituent Assembly (2007-2008) are also examined. Finally, the article analyzes how the Kichwa language was recognized in the Ecuadorian Constitution and how the proposal presented by the CONAIE (Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador) was incorporated (or not) into the Constituent Assembly. The presented work demonstrates that the version approved by the Ecuadorian Constituent Assembly recognizes Kichwa as the language of interculturality and maintains the hierarchical superiority of Castilian. Keywords: Colonialism; Decoloniality; History of Ecuador; Kichwa Language; New Latin American Constitutionalism.Downloads
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Published
2025-04-30
How to Cite
EREMITES DE OLIVEIRA, Jorge; SCUSSEL, Jaqueline; PREVE, Daniel Ribeiro; GUERRERO MARURI, Fernando Fabian; BITENCOURT CAMPOS, Juliano. Language and (de) coloniality in the process of recognition of kichwa in the Ecuadorian Constitution of 2008. Espaço Ameríndio, Porto Alegre, v. 19, n. 1, p. 200–233, 2025. DOI: 10.22456/1982-6524.141201. Disponível em: https://seer.ufrgs.br/index.php/EspacoAmerindio/article/view/141201. Acesso em: 30 oct. 2026.
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