Disorder and Chaos in the Spatial Organization of Rural-Urban Republican Ecuador

Abstract

The spatial structuring established since the Republican foundation of Ecuador in 1830 is presented as disorganized and chaotic due to the failure to conceive the country's bio-anthropological diversity and differences. This neglect resulted in the absence of a historically agreed-upon organization and ordering of the State and its territory, leading instead to a State controlled by the governing elite for their own benefit. The socio-spatial disorder and chaos are evident in the accumulated delays and rural-urban poverty, which should have been addressed to build a diverse and inclusive nation. This topic is pertinently addressed in the present research, tracing the foundational-structural implications, combined with circumstantial practices that have hindered the implementation of the long-desired and proclaimed "Constitutional State of Rights, Social Justice, Territorial Integrity, and Plurinationality" of 2008.