Domestic Politics as a Continuation of Foreign Policy? An exploratory Role Theory Approach to How Populism Shaped Ecuador’s Foreign Policy During Rafael Correa’s Presidency (2007-2017)

Absztrakt (kivonat)

Latin America is a region where populism, with all its contested shapes and forms, has long been present in its political and socio-economic history. In the context of the Pink Tide, several governments rose to power – from Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez, Bolivia’s Evo Morales, and Ecuador’s Rafael Correa in attempt to foster what has been dubbed the twenty-first century socialism in their respective societies. The purpose of the following work is to examine, through an exploratory role theory approach, how Rafael Correa’s domestic populism shaped Ecuador’s foreign policy during his time in power (2007-2017). This thesis has considered the ideational approach to populism, which adopts these three core elements: a) anti-elitist, b) pro people, c) general well. More interestingly, this research is inspired by work conducted by authors Leslie Wehner and Cameron Thies (2020) and seeks to navigate the relevant national role conceptions conceived and played by Correa during his time in office in an attempt to further understand the connection between populist policy, at home and abroad. In the domestic dimension of populism, we delve into a) Correa’s main populist narratives at home, b) identity building through the Citizen Revolution, and c) a new economic model. The main NRCs identified in this section are: anti-imperialist agent, active independent, defender of the faith and internal development. These roles allow us to better grasp how Correa successfully presented himself as the ‘savior’ of the Ecuadorian people, long neglected and affected by decades of political and socioeconomic instability; how the Citizen Revolution allowed the citizenry to feel closer to Correa through identity building around one main struggle (poverty) and last but not least, how the new economic model paved the way for Correa’s ideology to take place, while striving for economic dignity and national sovereignty vis-à-vis colonial powers. Moreover, in the international dimension of populism, the author looks into d) Correa’s foreign policy agenda and rapprochement with Iran and Russia, e) US-Ecuador relations, and f) a new multilateralism. The main NRCs identified are anti-imperialist agent, active independent, defender of the faith, faithful ally and example. These roles allow us to further comprehend how Correa’s populist ideology and ambitions translated from local challenges to international ones as well. The findings of this section allow us to further understand how Correa’s main populist values – national sovereignty, economic independence, and anti-imperialist approach led Ecuador to engage in an unprecedented and bold foreign policy, realigning with nontraditional allies such as Iran and Russia, defying the US on diplomatic and trade matters and being an avid supporter in Latin American integration during his time in power.