• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.49
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• pp.249-274
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• 2017

The indigenous movement in Ecuador, which has been one of the most successful social movements since the 1980s, has been declining since the 2000s. The rapid disintegration and weakening of the indigenous movement with the emergence of the Correa regime is closely related to the geopolitical realities of Ecuador. This study examines the Pachakutik, an independent political organization, as the reason behind the movement's weakened political power and crisis that was experienced under the Correa regime since the 2000s. Until the early 2000s, the indigenous movement exercised considerable political power through CONAIE. CONAIE formed the Pachakutik, in order to resolve their issues politically through elections. Despite the successes of the 1990s, the electoral strategy since the 2000s led to eventual fragmentation and decline of the indigenous movement. Therefore, the impact of Pachakutik on the growth and decline of the indigenous movement has important implications for the future. The need for expansion through intercultural discourses and strategies rather than electoral strategies cannot be overstated. In other words, new approaches are needed to sustain the indigenous movement.