Le Réveil Politique des Indiens Protestants de L'Equateur

Abstract

The recent appearance of the indigenous evangelical movement on the Ecuadorian political scene (2000) is a historic fact that highlights two important aspirations of the Indian people. One is to recover the people's right to freedom and justice, and to reject all forms of exploitation and violence imposed by the current governing culture, modelled on neo-liberal economic principles. The other tendency that emerges from this movement is new forms of political organization based on a religious and ethnic identiy, from which has resulted a rupture from the ideological control of the North American missionaries, who maintain that participation in political activities is contrary to God's teachings and should consequently be seen as demonic. The division between “things of the world” and “things of God” forged by the missionaries has begun to be examined and questioned with respect not only to political activity, but also to indigenous culture and religiousness.