Abstract
The extended constitutional process Ecuador has undergone since 2007 for the approval of its new Constitution and its subsequent application generated high expectations in the specific area of democratic development as the so-called citizen participation systems were implemented at the local level. This article offers a qualitative analysis based on documentary sources and information extracted from interviews and discussion groups with politicians, technicians and citizens, to understand the characteristics and achievements of the process of institutionalization of citizen participation and to assess its democratic quality. In spite of the good practices in the area of social participation, the results offer a scenario of highly institutionalized weak democracy, with little progress in terms of the direct and participatory democracy established in its Constitution.
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