Introductory study to analyze identity hybridization processes in the protestant conversion of the Kichwa-Otavalo people in Otavalo

Abstract

Since the beginning of the 20th century, the development of religious practices related to Protestantism has been observed in Otavalo, both in the mestizo population and in the indigenous population. This phenomenon participates in a much broader movement, on a regional scale, of transformation of the religious field. Latin America, historically Catholic, is becoming Protestant, as some authors such as David Stoll (1991) explore. But how does this far-reaching phenomenon take shape in the local context? In Ecuador, scientific production around the subject is rather scarce, except for some contributions such as that of Susana Andrade (2004), to mention one of the most cited works. Therefore, it is interesting to explore the phenomenon of the adherence of broad sectors of the indigenous population of the city of Otavalo to new religious beliefs, particularly those promoted by the so-called “Christian churches”. Starting in the 1970s, when the expansion of these churches emerged, an interpretation became prevalent that emphasizes the manipulation of which converts would be victims at the hands of missionaries from the United States, motivated by the political agenda of said country’s government. Because of this position, the agency shown by the new believers, mostly from popular and indigenous sectors, when adapting religion to their needs and interests was made invisible. Precisely in these processes of religious reformulation, identity transformations were produced that we are interested in studying. This article aims to place the analysis of indigenous Protestantism in Otavalo within the broader discussion about the re-configuration of the religious field in Latin America, and from there to propose approaches to the religious conversion of the population of interest. The study of religious and identity mutations will allow us to reflect on the identity hybridization processes that take place in Otavalo as one more manifestation of the miscegenation that characterizes Andean and Ecuadorian society.