State responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador: analyzing beyond the Executive Power

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to describe the responses of the Ecuadorian State to the COVID-19 health crisis. In view of the existence in Latin America of countries which are highly dependent on the Executive branch of government, we describe the role of the Legislature, the Constitutional Court, the Council for Citizen Participation and Social Control, the Ombudsman's Office, the Comptroller General's Office, and the National Electoral Council in the management of the health crisis. Although each agency has its own powers and independent decision-making processes, we focus on Ecuador to observe the role of central government agencies, beyond the Executive branch, during the COVID-19 pandemic, both in relation to their specific functions and within the framework of checks and balances of the Ecuadorian institutional system