THE PUNISHMENT OF RACIST ACTS COMMITTED AGAINST AFRO-ECUADORIANS: REALITY OR IMPUNITY?

Date of Award

8-2014

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

African American Studies

Advisor(s)

SN Sangmpam

Keywords

Afirmative action in Ecuador, Afro-Ecuadorians, anti-discrimination laws, anti-racist laws, criminal justice system in Ecuador, Racism in Ecuador

Subject Categories

Law | Race and Ethnicity | Regional Sociology | Social and Behavioral Sciences | Sociology

Abstract

Ecuador is considered a mestizo country because it is founded by the mixture of races. The notion of Ecuador as a multicultural country reinforces the ideology of racial democracy in a diverse society because ideally everybody regardless of race, gender and ethnicity has the same opportunities as well as equality before the law and judicial protection. The problem is that Afro-Ecuadorians constitute a minority, but they are over-represented in unemployment, incarceration rates and poverty, many more than other ethnic minorities. Moreover, Afro-Ecuadorians are more likely to face discriminatory practices used by whites and mestizos. Since 1979 discrimination based race was condemned in the Criminal Code, and then the 2008 Constitution of Ecuador established more dispositions to combat any form of discrimination. However, from 1979 to the present the Ecuadorian criminal justice system has never convicted anyone for Crimes of Racial Discrimination or Hate Crimes. In effect, this thesis analyzes how racial bias operates in the criminal justice system, and the lack of enforcement of laws and state mechanisms on behalf of Afro-Ecuadorians.

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