La protesta social y su aporte a la democracia: Análisis de la influencia de los movimientos sociales en el paro nacional del 2019, dentro del marco interamericano de derechos humanos en el Ecuador

Abstract

Social protest plays a fundamental role in the construction of a democratic state. Faced with the lack of direct dialogue channels between the State and social movements, protest becomes a tool to bring into the public debate the needs neglected by the government. Although the right to protest has been constitutionally recognized, the Ecuadorian State has not succeeded in ensuring its full exercise, and in many cases, it has resorted to state and judicial force to restrict or suppress demonstrations, thereby endangering democratic stability. In this context, the inter-American framework of human rights plays a key role by acknowledging protest as a right that contributes to the development of a more just society. Through discourse analysis and the use of data triangulation, which includes a literature review, action document analysis, and semi-structured interviews, this study aims to generate findings and conclusions that promote greater effectiveness of the right to protest and strengthen the Ecuadorian democratic system.