Publications
Derechos, calidad de vida urbana y división del espacio en el Distrito Metropolitano de Quito
With Augusto Barrera and Pablo Cabrera-Barona
Este trabajo explora la calidad de vida en el Distrito Metropolitano de Quito (DMQ) mediante la construcción de un índice multidimensional, con el que se analizan sus 65 parroquias. El índice sintetiza determinantes de la división social del espacio, particularmente dimensiones relacionadas con vivienda, servicios, economía, derechos sociales y condiciones ambientales. El índice se calculó aplicando agregación lineal de diversos indicadores ponderados. Los pesos se calcularon a través del análisis de componentes principales. Los resultados permiten comprender condiciones de la división social del espacio y establecen una tipología de las formaciones socioterri-toriales que coexisten en el área metropolitana. El trabajo aspira a contribuir en el ejercicio del derecho a la ciudad y el territorio en el DMQ.
EURE - Revista de Estudios Urbano Regionales, Volume 48. N.144, pp.1-23.
La capital en disputa. Un estudio de la contienda electoral por la alcaldía de Quito, 2009-2019
Esta tesis de maestría estudia cómo las élites políticas trabajan en el proceso de valorización de las candidaturas a la alcaldía de Quito para producir apoyos electorales. El documento acopla los marcos teóricos del trabajo político, de la sociología electoral y de la geografía electoral. Se pone a prueba la capacidad de complementariedad de estas aproximaciones para responder a la pregunta general de investigación: ¿cómo se articula la acción política de candidatos y sus máquinas sobre las estructuras sociales y territoriales de Quito con el fin de acaparar votos por su candidatura a la alcaldía? En otras palabras, el objeto de estudio es la interacción entre la estructura socio-territorial, la agencia de los actores políticos durante los períodos de campaña y los apoyos electorales logrados. Metodológicamente, el texto combina las entrevistas semiestructuradas, el seguimiento de procesos, el estudio de encuestas y el análisis socioespacial.
Master’s Thesis, FLACSO, 2023.
Working Papers
Leader cue or partisanship? Categorizing lasting electoral support for a charismatic movement
With Paolo Moncagatta
The survival of charismatic movements following the departure of their leader is contingent on their capacity to transform personal loyalty into enduring political support for a broader political platform. In Ecuador, despite the exit of Rafael Correa from the presidency in 2017 and the country in 2018, his movement prevailed as a dominant political force, and the ongoing divide between supporters and opponents of Correa, known as Correísmo and Anticorreísmo respectively, continues to structure voting behavior. This article analyzes the durability of electoral support for this charismatic movement and identifies two related yet distinct tendencies. A considerable number of adherents self-identify as Correístas (supporters of Correa) and exhibit strong partisan loyalty. In contrast, others consider themselves neutral but rely on emotional affinity toward the leader as a voting cue. The present study introduces the concept of charismatic partisanship to distinguish these loyal followers from leader-cued voters. Drawing on original post-electoral surveys from the first and second rounds of three presidential elections (2021-2025), the analysis shows that charismatic partisans are consistently more likely than emotionally attached citizens to support the movement’s endorsed candidate.
Under his shadow. Charismatic partisanship and party survival in local elections.
Local elections assess the survival capacities of personalistic parties, which are challenged to convert charismatic appeals into reliable support for allied candidates. Yet the transfer of loyalty is rarely straightforward when followers’ attachments are tied primarily to a national leader. Parties that endure succeed in cultivating charismatic partisanship—a form of citizens’ political allegiance that extends beyond the leader toward a broader political project. This paper analyzes the case of Correísmo in Quito’s mayoral contests. In a city with a markedly weak local party system, candidates endorsed by Rafael Correa have consistently placed first or second since the emergence of this personalistic platform. Analyzing four electoral cycles (2009–2023), I demonstrate the persistent expression of three core features of charismatic partisanship: electoral transferability, portability across party labels, and legibility to other political actors. This distinctive form of support anchors the long-term endurance of local political networks. Methodologically, the study employs a mixed-methods approach that combines in-depth interviews with high-level local politicians and the analysis of unpublished electoral surveys. The findings underscore the importance of understanding citizens’ political behavior as a function of multi-level political linkages rather than isolated national or local dynamics.