Analysis of the Indigenous Guard in Ecuador as a system of territorial defence and self-determination in a plurinational state
Analysis of the Indigenous Guard in Ecuador as a system of territorial defence and self-determination in a plurinational state

Summary/Abstract: The Indigenous Guard in Ecuador arose as a response to militarization, state control, and power hierarchies within the context of the Plurinational State, recognized in the 2008 Constitution after long indigenous struggles. Alongside Bolivia, Ecuador is one of the only countries to constitutionally adopt this model, granting Indigenous communities the right to protect their territories autonomously. Unlike the state's military system, the Indigenous Guard is collective, horizontal, and non-hierarchical, challenging both militarism and gender norms by ensuring equal participation in defending land, nature, and cultural identity. The article traces the historical struggle for a plurinational state, examines the Guard's development within Ecuador's legal framework, and analyses its resistance to state militarization, particularly highlighting women's leadership roles. Ultimately, the Indigenous Guard transcends its function as territorial defence, representing a broader act of resistance against colonial, patriarchal, and neoliberal state structures, and offering alternative visions of security, autonomy, and decolonial coexistence.

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