La rivalité entre Guayaquil et Quito à l’aube de la Révolution libérale, 1894-1895

Abstract

The rivalry between Quito and Guayaquil is a long-term issue and has often been assessed by the Ecuadorian historiography. This paper aims at treating this question from a short-term perspective, by focusing on two events that came about in the wake of the Liberal Revolution, the expulsion of the liberal senator Felicísimo López from the Senate in 1894 and the proclamation of the liberal leader Eloy Alfaro as Supreme Leader of the Republic in Guayaquil in 1895. These two events did not just crystallize the conflict between conservatives and liberals, but also stirred up a debate on the relationship between the two main cities of Ecuador and on the status of Quito as the capital of the Republic. The analysis of this debate will be based on the conflicting perspectives supported by the liberal press of Guayaquil and the conservative press of Quito.

Keywords

• liberalism
• press
• conservatism
• capitals
• Liberal Revolution