Rafael Correa's Use Of Transitional Justice Research

Ecuador is a third world developing country in the northwestern area of South America. Ecuador’s current president is Rafael Correa and although the country is democratic he has been imposing some socialist ideals. He was elected president in 2007 and then reelected in 2013, although some have suspicions of corruption in the voting system. One of his first actions as President was to publish a presidential mandate to create the Truth Commission in order “to prevent impunity” and investigate the human rights violations that occurred between the year 1984 and 1988 (Correa 1). This gave Correa a great image as a president following the constitution of the Republic as it stated, “Article 23, paragraph 2 of the Constitution of the Republic prohibits

Ecuador had chosen to use the transitional justice mechanism of truth commissions in the past to clarify the serious human rights violations. The first Truth and Justice Commission “was established on September 17, 1996 by President Abdala Bucaram through Ministerial Resolution No. 012” (Transitional Justice Research Colaberative). Within three months into the investigation there were 300 cases reported but, unfortunately, this truth commission only lasted five months before it terminated its operation(United States Institute of Peace). This left the victims without justice and in a way consolidated the impunity around the hundreds of cases that were reported without action and remained

Some of the violations included the territory being exploited by using it for deforestation and polluting the river and waters by the foreign investors (Sin la Verdad no hay Justicia 29). The foreign investors, that were not named, invaded the communal lands and harassed the native tribes during oil exploration work (Sin la Verdad no hay Justicia 29). Despite Cordero’s economic plan, Ecuador’s “external debt increased 45% from 1984-1988” and brought the country into further oppression (Sin la Verdad no hay Justicia 30). Besides the violations that occurred to the land and natives in the Amazonia, Cordero also was violent toward the left wing opposing part by trying to control the other operations of the government that went beyond his authorized power. Cordero tried to eliminate the opposition and “disqualify representatives by falsely accusing them of harboring terrorist and drug dealers” that would make them unpopular with voters (Sin la Verdad no hay Justicia 30). Cordero tried to extend his power as President by taking control over the “Official Registry in which one has the power to decide what laws would be published and which ones would not be” and that would make be able to push his agenda (Sin la Verdad no hay Justicia