Cultural policy: Julio Cesar Trujillo

Abstract

The text, a lecture by Dr. Julio César Trujillo, analyzes the period of transition Ecuador is experiencing, marked by the emergence of new times starting in the 1970s, driven by industrialization, urbanization, and oil exploitation. Trujillo argues that the country is at the threshold of a new era , where old values and ways of life are losing relevance, while new ones are not yet fully defined, generating deep social insecurity and confusion. It details how this transformation affects spheres such as the economy (gigantic projects), culture (mass media), politics (loss of the religious-based left/right division), and daily life (multifamily housing, new needs, and greater demand for job specialization). The author stresses that modern science and technology are advancing rapidly, have become a costly commodity, and require a specialization that the country lacks, exacerbating external dependence. In this context, Trujillo insists on the urgent need to design a cultural policy for Ecuador to rescue its own values, build a more just and humane society (addressing social marginalization) , and overcome the national characteristic of being a culturally fragmented and disintegrated people.