¿Para qué votar? Análisis comparativo de la incidencia de las consultas populares en Bolivia (2016) y Ecuador (2018) sobre el proceso de democratización

During the last years, popular consultations have appeared in Andean region, as a democratization tool and even to reinforce the state building process. In Bolivia and Ecuador deep reforms took place with massive mobilization and support since it would have been impossible to reform such systems without popular consultations. In both countries in the past, efforts to such transformations had failed as a consequence of a political deadlock. This article aims to highlight the effects of popular consultations on democracy based on the case of Bolivia and Ecuador. The main purpose is to demonstrate that: a) presidential rigidity must be analyzed taking into account differences among each regime from the evidence b) under determined circumstances such consultations could trigger a bargain process, and are not always a zero-sum game and, c) their effects on democratic consolidation should be revisited.