Revolução cidadã e relações sino-equatorianas: entre promessas de desenvolvimento e riscos de dependência (2007-2017)

Abstract

This study aims to examine the influences and outcomes of the external credit and investment policies implemented during the governments of Rafael Correa, evaluating the hypothesis that Ecuador's relationship with China deepens its condition of peripheral dependency. To achieve this objective, a case study focused on Ecuador during Correa’s governments is carried out, based on Immanuel Wallerstein’s World-Systems Theory (WST), with the purpose of understanding the effects of the changes in financial policy during the period from 2007 to 2017. The study addresses the theoretical foundations of Marxist Theory and WST, which establish the conceptual basis for the analysis. These theories understand the capitalist system as socially constructed throughout history and as a space where forms of exploitation and domination are manifested, both in the relationships between social classes and in the relationships between states. In this context, the study deepens the analysis of the material and historical circumstances of the countries involved. Ecuador is characterized as a peripheral country, dependent on external capital and seeking financial diversification, while China, although considered a semiperipheral country, plays a central role in Latin America. Finally, the study examines Chinese loans and investments, as well as their impacts on Ecuador, analyzing established contracts, invested amounts, and targeted sectors, alongside Ecuadorian macroeconomic data during Correa’s governments. The investigation concludes that the governments of Correa achieved significant advances in areas such as education, health, and infrastructure, reflected in positive indicators such as GDP growth, reduced inflation, and decreased unemployment. However, these results did not translate into an improvement in the country’s position within the world-system, as commercial data demonstrates the persistence of structural dependency, reinforcing the international division of labor. Chinese financing not only sustains but also reinforces Ecuador’s economic dependency, establishing a new form of dependency within the international system. This work contributes to the discussion by analyzing China’s role as a new international creditor and exploring the possibilities available to peripheral countries, lacking external capital, within the framework of the world-system.