Changes to the Ecuadorian constitution endorsed by President Rafael Correa were backed by over 65% of voters in a referendum held on Sunday. The constitution represents an important step forward for native languages - to varying degrees - and for the right of indigenous communities to self-governance.

Firstly, the new constitution defines Quecha and Shuar, two of the indigenous languages of Ecuador, as "official languages of intercultural relations". While they still do not have the same status as Spanish, the official language of the Ecuadorian state, this marks real progress, since Quechua and Shuar had previously only been official in the regions where they are spoken and not throughout the entire country. The other Amerindian languages, about ten in total, remain official languages in particular regions.

But the constitution also grants new rights to indigenous peoples, including the right to "non-forfeitable ownership of communal lands", the right to "consultation about projects and programmes involving prospecting, exploitation and commercialization of non-renewable resources", the right not to be "displaced from ancestral lands", and the right to "develop a bilingual intercultural education system". The constitution also allows indigenous peoples to establish autonomous districts, as well as providing for decentralization at an administrative and financial level.

The text of the new socialist-inspired constitution focuses on the distribution of wealth through state intervention and seeks to guarantee access to "education, health, work and housing". It has been criticized by the opposition for giving too much power to the Government and for being "against the family" because it gives the green light to homosexual marriage and birth control.

Further information:

• Text of the new Constitution
• MónDivers: L’Equador aprova la Constitució que fa oficials el quítxua i el shuar
• Nationalia: Ecuadorian constitution makes Quechua and Shuar official in "intercultural relations"