Economía solidaria en el Ecuador: institucionalización y tipos de organizaciones

On the basis of a review of the existing literature on popular and solidarity economy as well as an empirical study including structured and semi-structured interviews and partici- pant observation, the aim of the article is twofold. First, we present the four institutional paths that led to the political and legal recognition of solidarity economy (SE) and its enrollment in public policies in Ecuador. Second, we suggest a typology of SE initiatives that arises from those four institutional paths. In the light of the ideal-type proposed by EMES and the work of Coraggio et al. (2015), we identify the main distinctive features of the four models, regarding their legal forms, type of mission, governance structure, and resources, among other criteria. These models are then illustrated in different fields of activity, both established and emerging ones, in the Ecuadorian landscape.