Democratic Left (ID)

The Democratic Left (Izquierda Democrática—ID), the center-left political party of President Rodrigo Borja Cevallos and Vice President Luis Parodi Valverde (1988–1992), began as a splinter party in 1977, when young reformers broke away from the Radical Liberal Party (Partido Liberal Radical, PLR). In 1984 ID candidate Borja lost the presidential runoff election to conservative Guayaquil businessman León Febres-Cordero (1984–1988). However, in 1988 Borja defeated former Guayaquil mayor Abdalá Bucaram Ortiz, with Bucaram carrying the coast and Borja taking the sierra. Although Borja campaigned on a platform of progressive policies, in office he dealt with the deepening economic crisis caused by a drop in oil prices (Ecuador's leading export) by adopting an austerity program, devaluing the sucre (Ecuador's national currency), increasing taxes, and loosening price controls on basic necessities. The ID, unlike most Ecuadorian political parties that serve principally as vehicles to advance the electoral aspirations of single individuals, is an institutionalized political party built around a moderately progressive ideology. The ID continues to play a central role in Ecuadorian politics, maintaining a large presence in the Congress.

See alsoBorja Cevallos, Rodrigo; Febres-Cordero Ribadeneyra, León.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Izquierda Democrática. Available from http://www.izquierdademocratica.org.

Gerlach, Allen. Indians, Oil, and Politics: A Recent History of Ecuador. Wilmington, DE: Scholarly Resources, 2003.

Schodt, David W. Ecuador: An Andean Enigma. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1987.

                                         Ronn Pineo