Equador: neoextrativismo chinês e territórios de resistência

Abstract

This paper analyzes the bilateral relationship between China and Ecuador, aiming to identify elements that help qualify the effects of this relationship for the Latin American country. In other words, it seeks to answer the guiding question - Has the bilateral relationship with China been beneficial for Ecuador? - Given this objective and within the limits of this study, only two analytical perspectives were considered. The first is the economic dimension, that is, it aims to understand what the relationship with China has meant for Ecuador in economic terms. The second is the social dimension, particularly regarding lived space, using the socio-territorial struggles of Indigenous and peasant communities as an interpretive framework to assess the effects of neo-extractivism driven by China’s demand for natural resources on the territory and the lives of these populations. By focusing on the economic, social, and territorial aspects of Ecuador, this study argues that although the relationship with China is marked by asymmetry, it does not necessarily constitute an imperialist relationship in the traditional sense. However, it does contribute to Ecuador’s continued role as a primary commodity exporter in the international division of labor and to the persistence of extractivist policies.