Pluralismo jurídico y continuidades coloniales en Ecuador de la Constitución Sinodal de 1594 al contexto actual: de la Constitución Sinodal de 1594 al contexto actual

This article examines legal pluralism in Ecuador from a historical and anthropological perspective. Based on the analysis of the Synodal Constitution of Quito of 1594, it contributes to the understanding of the historical foundations of legal pluralism in the country—a topic that has received limited attention in the specialized literature. The study reveals the existence of a unitary model in the Audiencia of Quito, in which Indigenous law was subordinated to colonial legal systems. This dynamic persists in the current context: although the 2008 Constitution recognizes the equal hierarchical status of Indigenous and ordinary justice, the former continues to be treated as inferior. Consequently, the article proposes the implementation of mechanisms to overcome the colonial legacy and move toward a legal pluralism grounded in equality. The research was based on documentary methodology, relying on the analysis of both primary and secondary sources.