Cooperation Between Ecuador and China in Security Technologies: The Case of ECU 911

This article aims to demonstrate that the Integral Security System (SIS) ECU 911 implemented in Ecuador is the result of a socio-technical adaptation, whose design, implementation and decay have been shaped by the foreign policy alignments of the various governments of the country. Two complementary...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Álvarez-Velasco, Carla, Vila-Seoane, Maximiliano
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:Ecuador
Institución:Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales
Repositorio:Revista URVIO
Idioma:español
OAI Identifier:oai:revistas.flacsoandes.edu.ec:article/5847
Acceso en línea:https://revistas.flacsoandes.edu.ec/urvio/article/view/5847
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:China
citizen security
ECUADOR
foreign policy
socio-technical adaptation
surveillance
adecuación socio-técnica
Ecuador
política exterior
seguridad ciudadana
videovigilancia
Descripción
Sumario:This article aims to demonstrate that the Integral Security System (SIS) ECU 911 implemented in Ecuador is the result of a socio-technical adaptation, whose design, implementation and decay have been shaped by the foreign policy alignments of the various governments of the country. Two complementary theoretical approaches are used: international studies and social studies of science and technology. In-depth interviews with key actors linked to the initiative are conducted, and primary and secondary materials linked to the case are analyzed. The data show that while much of the technologies used in ECU 911 have been procured from Chinese actors, there was a process of adapting them to specific local needs, from the design of the project, led by the authorities on duty. The results indicate that criticism that this initiative represents the import of an authoritarian surveillance model from China is unsubstantiated.