The pre-columbian time
Ecuador’s history before the Inca times goes much further from the legend. In the XI century two tribes imposed themselves to the rest: The Cara on the coast and the Quitu in the high plateau. Both tribes got together forming a third tribe called Shyri. Around 1300 a new alliance was formed with the Puruhá original from the south.
In the Inca expansion period the Puruhá still occupied and dominated the north part of the country while the south was on Cañari’s hands. This group conducted an important resistance against the Inca invaders letting some years passed before the Inca king Tupac Yupanqui achieved conquering them. In the meantime Tupac Yupanqui marries a Cañari princess who gives birth to a son called Huayna Capac.
It took many years to occupy the north. Huayna Capac becomes the new king of the empire that extended from Bolivia to Ecuador. In 1526 the king dies and leaves the kingdom to both his sons: Huascar from Cuzco and Atahualpa from Quito. That same year the first Spanish commanded by Francisco Pizarro arrive to Ecuador in an exploration mission; Pizarro comes back years later as a conquistador. Meanwhile the rivalry between the two brothers kept growing up to the point of dividing both kingdoms and going to war. After years of battle, Atahualpa prevails. When Pizarro arrives in 1532 the empire was weak and divided.
Pizarro’s advance was fast and dramatic. Spanish were taken for gods then they planted terror. Atahualpa accepted and encounter with the conquistador in order to negotiate but Pizarro showed up killing Atahualpa’s guard and capturing him. An enormous amount of gold, silver and other precious goods were asked as rescue for Atahualpa. When the sum was paid the Spanish instead of releasing Atahualpa processed him and condemned him for incest, polygamy, adoration to false divinities and crimes against the crown.
Two years later Quito was turn down and refunded by the Spanish.

The colony and the independence
The colonial period begun. Non worth mentioning indigenous revolutions took place. Agriculture and art flourished. Quito’s art school arises leaving a mark that can still be seen in palaces and churches. The colonists who owned the power had a high-quality life; nevertheless, the indigenous were brutally treated. In the XVIII century the anger generated by the hard works ended up on various revolts that caused many deaths.
An important character of that time was Eugenio Espejo, a brilliant intellectual from indigenous origin that writes political satires, funds a liberal newspaper but gets captured and dies on jail.
Revolts against Spain had already initiated, and Simon Bolivar conquers independence on 1822. Bolivar’s dream was to create a unique South American nation: the Gran Colombia. But after eight years of existence the confederation dissolves and Ecuador obtains its own independence.
The country’s history is characterized for the instability created by years of permanent confrontation between liberals and conservatives. Quito was the center of the conservative clerics while Guayaquil was associated to rather liberal ideas. The opposition between political groups carried out violent episodes: in 1875 the conservative president Garcia Moreno was assassinated and years later the liberal Eloy Alfaro suffers the same kind of death.
In the course of centuries civil and military governments alternated until the end of the 70’s.

Ecuador in the 80’s and 90’s
The military dictatorship’s last years were marked by an economical instability, augmented unemployment, financial unbalances and the unexpected drop of the investments. These problems were faced primarily through foreign debt.
Jaime Roldos Aguilera won the presidential elections of 79 and Oswaldo Hurtado was vicepresident (1979-81). Roldos was a young politician from center. From 1981 to 1997 the democratic process in Ecuador followed a “normal” course. The power was alternated between the right and the center-left. Presidents were: Oswaldo Hurtado (1981-84); Leon Febres Cordero (1984 - 88); Rodrigo Borja (1988 - 92); Sixto Duran Ballen (1992 - 96)

The normal political process was not corresponded by a normal economical process. A non precedent crisis began in the 80’s. The feudal management of the land and the agriculture were no longer the country’s only problems. Difficulties with the industry and an insufficient development, oil politics always subjected to the highs and lows of the international market and, overall, the enormous external debt that kept augmenting subtracting necessary resources for development.

It is important to note some significant facts of the country’s history.
In 1981 a new conflict between Peru and Ecuador aroused – the Paquisha War – cased by border controversies located on the Amazon, this border has been indefinite wince 1942. To handle the war costs, Ecuador requests once more for foreign debt.

In 1983 the climatic conditions were terrible: it rained non stop for ten months. This resulted on several damages on the transportation and agricultural infrastructures. Interruptions on the exportation of banana, coffee and other exotic products resulted on a 130 million loss.

During Febres Cordero’s government, in 1987, an earthquake with epicenter on the north oriental zone of the country, destroyed part of the pipeline, paralyzing crude’s exportations for seven months. Consequences for the country’s economy for disastrous.

Positive aspects of this period are the reinforcement of the labor unions and indigenous organizations (rights for the indigenous communities were recognized and some of them received assignations of land on the Amazon). Moreover, an intense alphabetization campaign was held during Rodrigo Borja’s administration. The alarming illiteracy levels were reduced but not completely eliminated.

Falling once again under the old mistake of populism the Ecuadorian people elects Abdala Bucaram as president in 1996. He remains on the power only for six months; his scandalous administration, clearly corrupt and incoherent with the political programs he presented on the elections provoked a large and strong mobilization from the civil society. The indigenous organizations gave special contribution to these mobilizations that led to the president’s dismissal. These events were followed by a transition period that initiated with the institution of a Constituent Assembly. The provisional government, under the direction of Fabian Alarcon, conducted the country to the extraordinary presidential elections that took place in May 1998. Jamil Mahuad, leader of the Democracia Popular (DP) party was elected president. Nevertheless, his decision of repairing the public deficit by raising the prices of first necessity products (gas, gasoline, electricity, etc) mobilized the country’s popular forces and provoked the president’s escape from the country. The increases and privations policies did not change. The government decides to practice the “dolarizacion”. Looking to stop the inflation process the US dollar becomes Ecuador’s official currency./p>

The 2000
Two years after the model is adopted it can be verified that it brought more economic stability but paying a tremendous price: salary’s acquisitive value diminished, higher levels of unemployment, massive emigration and clandestine emigration. In September 2002 Gutierrez is elected as president. He is and ex officer with progressive ideas that was supported by the indigenous movements. He was the figure of hope that represented the weakest part of the population. This gave the country some social tranquility, a less conflictive period and some openings on economics. However, the last moths of 2003 these hopes disappear once more. The acceptance of the Monetary Fund’s indications, accusations of nepotism and lack of democratic reality took the indigenous representatives out of the government.
Gutierrez escaped. After a transition period the current president Rafael Correa is elected in 2006. Correa does a serial of institutional reforms directly challenging the economical power and the oligarchy that for the last 50 years has dominated the country. He distinguishes for giving more attention to the contracts with international companies that work oil in Ecuador and for his firm will of stretching economic and diplomatic relations with other Latin-American countries and limiting relations with USA.