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Revista Cátedra, 9(2), pp. 49-62, July-December 2026. e-ISSN: 2631-2875

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Relevance of Codes of Coexistence in the Face

of Systematic Violence and the Narco-State in

Ecuador: An Exploratory-Descriptive Study

Pertinencia de los códigos de convivencia ante la

violencia sistemática y el narcoestado en Ecuador: un

estudio exploratorio-descriptivo

Galo Palacios-Terán

Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador

Facultad de Filosofía, Letras y Ciencias de la Educación, Carrera Multilingüe

gapalacios@uce.edu.ec

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0710-3139

(Received on: 15/02/2026; Accepted on: 015/04/2026; Final Version received on: 3/07/026)

Suggested citation: Palacios-Terán, G (2026). Relevance of Codes of Coexistence in the Face

of Systematic Violence and the Narco-State in Ecuador: An Exploratory-Descriptive Study.

Revista Cátedra, 9(2), 49-62.

Abstract

This study analyzes the impact of the guidelines of the Organic Law of Intercultural

Education (LOEI) on the creation of safe environments within Ecuador, a country

characterized by systematic violence and its status as a narco-state. Through descriptive

research with a qualitative approach, the study examines the gap between legal regulations

and the reality on the ground. It contrasts the regulatory framework of the LOEI and the

2008 Constitution with the security crisis stemming from the infiltration of transnational

organized crime. Preliminary findings from this exploratory phase indicate that, while the

LOEI seeks to guarantee the right to education, current codes of conduct lack tactical

protocols for addressing criminal co-optation, thus requiring an update in the crisis

management skills of teaching staff. The results suggest that current regulations exhibit a

tactical disconnect with the "narco-state" environment, necessitating a reform that

prioritizes human security and institutional resilience over administrative formality.

Consequently, there is a need to strengthen prevention, comprehensive protection and

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educational response to scenarios of threat, violence and community vulnerability, with a

territorial and inter-institutional approach.

Keywords

Coexistence, exploratory research, LOEI, narco-state, violence.

Resumen

Este estudio analiza la incidencia de los lineamientos de la Ley Orgánica de Educación

Intercultural (LOEI) en la creación de entornos seguros dentro de un Ecuador caracterizado

por la violencia sistemática y su configuración como narcoestado. A través de una

investigación de nivel descriptivo con enfoque cualitativo, se examina la brecha entre la

normativa legal y la realidad territorial. El estudio contrasta el marco normativo de la LOEI

y la Constitución de 2008 con la crisis de seguridad derivada de la infiltración del crimen

organizado transnacional. Los hallazgos preliminares de esta fase exploratoria indican que,

si bien la LOEI busca garantizar el derecho a la educación, los códigos de convivencia

vigentes carecen de protocolos tácticos para enfrentar la cooptación criminal, demandando

una actualización en las competencias de gestión de crisis del personal docente. Los

resultados encontrados sugieren que la normativa vigente presenta una desconexión táctica

con el entorno de "narcoestado", lo mencionado exige una reforma que priorice la seguridad

humana y la resiliencia institucional sobre la formalidad

administrativa. En consecuencia, se

plantea la necesidad de fortalecer la prevención, la protección integral y la respuesta educativa

frente a escenarios de amenaza, violencia y vulnerabilidad comunitaria, con enfoque territorial

e interinstitucional.

Palabras clave

Convivencia, investigación exploratoria, LOEI, narcoestado, violencia

1. Introduction

Contemporary education in Ecuador not only faces the challenge of pedagogical innovation

and bridging the digital divide, but is also immersed in an unprecedented security crisis.

According to Olivo and Corrales, new educational needs emerge directly from the

transformations that society is undergoing and represent one of the great challenges of the

21st century. These demands develop in a context marked by uncertainty and

ungovernability, conditions that manifest themselves in both the central government and

local governments (Olivo and Corrales, 2020). In this scenario, the teacher, as a key player

in the educational community, must transition from being a mere instructor to a guide

capable of building bridges between the student's intuitive reality and institutional security.

Ecuador, historically recognized as a country of relative stability in the Latin American

context, has, according to the World Bank, risen to the top of the region's crime statistics,

with homicide rates exceeding 40 per 100,000 inhabitants by 2023 (World Bank, 2026).

This indicator positions the country as one of the most violent environments in South

America, based on comparative data. This acceleration of violence is neither a spontaneous

nor an isolated phenomenon; on the contrary, it reflects one of the most dramatic structural

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transformations in its recent history, the result of a convergence of institutional, economic,

and geopolitical factors that developed over decades.

One of the most significant changes, though scarcely visible in public debate, is the

transformation of Ecuador's role within the international drug trafficking chain. The

country has ceased to be merely a transit corridor—an operational function that

predominated for much of the 20th and early 21st centuries—and has progressively

consolidated itself as a strategic center for the collection, logistical processing, and large-

scale shipment of controlled substances, primarily to European and North American

markets (Masson-Fiallos, 2024). This shift in the global criminal ecosystem has had

devastating consequences for the institutional fabric, community dynamics, and, in

particular, for the normative systems that regulate school coexistence.

Given this scenario, the central question guiding this study addresses an area frequently

overlooked by actors in the educational and legal systems: How are codes of conduct

relevant instruments for responding to, preventing, or mitigating the manifestations of

violence that has ceased to be merely interpersonal or community-based, becoming instead

a reflection of criminal structures capable of co-opting state institutions themselves? The

working hypothesis argues that, in their current formulation, these codes present a

profound structural gap in the face of the scale, nature, and scope of the violence that

characterizes contemporary Ecuador.

The educational reality of Ecuador in 2026 unfolds within a complex scenario of

unconventional internal conflict. While the State guarantees in Article 26 of the Constitution

that education is a fundamental right throughout life and an unavoidable and inexcusable

duty of public authorities, the factual dimension shows a progressive erosion of this

guarantee due to the presence and interference of organized crime groups (OCGs). The

Organic Law of Intercultural Education (LOEI), 2011, in its purpose of promoting a "culture

of peace," establishes codes of conduct as the central axis for school harmony. However, this

exploratory study posits that these codes have lost practical validity and operational

capacity in the face of the surrounding systematic violence.

While the Constitution of the Republic and the Organic Law of Intercultural Education

(LOEI) mandate the creation of spaces for peace, the ordinary development of subjects using

traditional methodologies is recurrently interrupted by criminal dynamics that permeate

the boundaries of educational institutions. To support this analysis, the article draws on

local academic production generated in reference centers such as FLACSO Ecuador, the

Institute of Higher National Studies (IAEN), and the Eloy Alfaro Lay University of Manabí

(ULEAM); on regional and international perspectives from the College of Michoacán

(COLMICH) and the Center for Research and Higher Studies in Social Anthropology

(CIESAS); and on normative sources such as the Constitution of the Republic, the

Comprehensive Organic Criminal Code (COIP), and current educational legislation. The

review is complemented by an examination of journalistic coverage from local media outlets

such as El Comercio and television channels, as well as specialized reports from

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international organizations, including the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights

(IACHR).

Regarding its structure, the study addresses the national security crisis, focusing on

institutional vulnerability to drug trafficking and the impact of youth assassinations in

classrooms. A qualitative and exploratory methodology is presented, including

bibliographic analysis and source triangulation. The results examine the disconnect

between the regulations of the Organic Law of Intercultural Education (LOEI) and the

dynamics of criminal co-optation. Finally, guidelines are proposed for updating teacher

competencies and reformulating codes of conduct from a human security perspective.

1.1 Interpretive perspectives

An analysis of violence trends in Ecuador between 2020 and 2024 reveals an exponential

increase in critical indicators: homicides, extortion, kidnappings, femicides, and deaths

linked to organized crime (Barrionuevo-Santamaría et al., 2024). In their contributions to

the journal Dominio de las Ciencias, they document how drug trafficking acts as a catalyst

for social destabilization, fracturing entire community structures, among which educational

institutions suffer a fundamental impact.

For their part, Pontón-Cevallos and Rivera-Velez propose five interpretive perspectives to

approach the increase in violence in the country: intra-organizational criminal conflict, the

war on drugs and its unintended consequences, the formation of criminal ecosystems, the

capture of public institutions, and the geopolitical dimension of transnational drug

trafficking (Pontón-Cevallos and Rivera-Velez, 2024). None of these variables can be

analyzed in isolation; their interrelation produces systemic violence that completely

overwhelms conventional instruments of social management and mediation.

The multifactorial nature of the Ecuadorian crisis has been underscored by numerous

researchers. Tenemaza-Ponce et al. demonstrate how violence impacts social development

in differentiated ways, affecting women, youth, and communities in conditions of extreme

vulnerability with particular severity. Gender-based violence, far from being an isolated

phenomenon, is intertwined with the logic of organized crime, which instrumentalizes it as

a mechanism for territorial control and social discipline (Tenemaza-Ponce et al., 2025). This

demonstrates that the phenomenon cannot be interpreted solely from a traditional criminal

or public security perspective, but rather demands comprehensive approaches that

incorporate educational, community, and human rights dimensions. In this context,

institutional weakness becomes both a cause and a consequence of the spiral of crime. As

Pontón-Cevallos and Rivera-Veléz point out, the State's inability to guarantee the legitimate

monopoly on force, administer justice effectively, and provide equitable conditions for

social development has created a governance vacuum that criminal groups exploit with

remarkable efficiency (Pontón-Cevallos and Rivera-Veléz, 2024). This vacuum is not only

operational but also normative, directly affecting the legitimacy and effectiveness of micro-

institutional instruments such as codes of conduct.

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1.2 The narco-state: criminal penetration and institutional weakness

The concept of a narco-state, while controversial in political science and public debate, is

operationally useful for describing the process of partial capture of state institutions by

criminal organizations. In the Ecuadorian context, Masson-Fiallos accurately describes how

drug trafficking operates as an ecosystem with a high capacity for adaptation, branching

out, and co-opting officials at various levels of public administration: from judicial and

police officers to local authorities and legislators (Masson-Fiallos, 2024). This infiltration

occurs not only through mechanisms of direct economic corruption but also through the use

of armed violence as an instrument of institutional coercion, which is critically reflected in

the presence of recruiters of minors for organized crime groups both inside and outside of

school environments.

Several authors, from a historical and comparative perspective that articulates the

experiences of Mexico and Ecuador, analyze how neoliberal economic dynamics and drug

trafficking have converged to produce profound transformations in Latin American

organized crime (Maldonado-Aranda and Vera-Cabrera, 2025). In their analysis published

in the journal Iuris, they argue that the criminal crisis in Ecuador is linked to state

restructuring processes that weakened the regulatory capacities of the public sector,

reduced social investment, and worsened the living conditions of large segments of the

population. These variables created the objective conditions for the expansion of organized

crime, transforming it into a breeding ground that exploits the lack of development

opportunities to recruit young people into organized crime groups. Similarly, Barrionuevo-

Santamaría et al. identify institutional weakness as one of the determining factors in the

cycle of violence. This fragility manifests itself in the erosion of public trust in institutions,

the collapse of the prison system, and the widespread perception of impunity (Barrionuevo-

Santamaría et al., 2024). The National Assembly of Ecuador, in its investigation of the prison

crisis, documented how the various branches of government failed to prevent and resolve

the security emergency, revealing an institutional paralysis of historic proportions

(National Assembly of Ecuador, 2021, 223).

1.3 Codes of coexistence: a regulatory framework in the face of the crisis

Codes of conduct were conceived in the Ecuadorian education system as participatory

instruments designed to regulate interpersonal relationships within the school community,

promote the peaceful resolution of conflicts, and guarantee a violence-free learning

environment. Their legal basis lies in the General Regulations to the Organic Law of

Intercultural Education, which mandates their design, implementation, and evaluation in all

institutions nationwide. In theory, these instruments should be developed democratically

with the educational community and reviewed periodically to address specific local

contexts.

However, an examination of contemporary reality reveals a structural gap between the

purely normative design of codes of conduct and the scale of violence facing the country.

These instruments were designed to address low-intensity conflicts inherent in ordinary

school dynamics: bullying, indiscipline, peer tensions, or non-compliance with rules that

affect the right to education. Its original conceptual architecture does not consider scenarios

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in which the school environment is permeated by the logic of organized crime, the

recruitment of minors by drug trafficking networks, or the presence of weapons in

educational spaces as an extension of external territorial disputes.

Maldonado-Aranda and Vera-Cabrera offer a structured critique of state responses to the

explosion of violence, pointing out that the ineffectiveness of policies based exclusively on

punitive populism and a "tough on crime" approach lies in their failure to address the

structural causes of the problem (Maldonado-Aranda and Vera-Cabrera, 2025). This same

logic is applied, on a micro scale, to codes of conduct when implemented in contexts of

systematic violence without genuine adaptation to such hostility; they end up being reduced

to formal tools lacking the effective capacity for transformation or protection.

It is important, however, to distinguish between absolute ineffectiveness and contextual

inadequacy. Codes of conduct are not inherently sterile; If reformulated and integrated with

macro-level policies for social protection, crime prevention, and psychosocial support, these

regulations can constitute a valuable component of a comprehensive institutional strategy.

According to Maldonado-Aranda and Vera-Cabrera, the academic discussion should not

focus on their elimination, but rather on evaluating whether their current design is relevant

to contemporary Ecuador. Thus, school coexistence regulations cannot operate as if the

violence occurring within schools were the same as it was twenty years ago. Reality has

changed radically, and regulatory instruments must be updated accordingly (Maldonado-

Aranda and Vera-Cabrera 2025).

1.4 Youth contract killings and violence in educational settings as manifestations

of the crisis

Youth contract killings constitute one of the most critical manifestations of organized

crime's penetration into Ecuadorian society. Baquerizo-Balladares, in a systematic review

of the phenomenon, documents how children and adolescents are recruited, exploited, and

discarded by criminal organizations that take advantage of social exclusion by offering

financial rewards which, in marginalized contexts, are presented as a survival alternative in

the face of a lack of opportunities (Baquerizo-Balladares, 2025). This phenomenon cannot

be understood without considering its structural roots: economic insecurity, territorial

segregation, school dropout rates, and the collapse of traditional references to legitimate

authority.

For their part, Sabando-Ordóñez and Cruz-Marte, in their analysis of predictors of violence

in Ecuador published in the journal Aula 24, identify the relationship between adolescents

involved in micro-trafficking and the impact of the historical application of consumption

threshold tables as a specific criminogenic factor. This tool, originally introduced to

distinguish between consumption and commercialization, has in practice created areas of

regulatory ambiguity that criminal networks have exploited to operate at the lowest levels

of the distribution chain, employing minors under the assumption of less severe penalties

(Sabando-Ordóñez and Cruz-Marte, 2024).

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Likewise, gender-based violence takes on complex characteristics in this context.

Tenemaza-Ponce et al. document how criminal networks instrumentalize aggression

against women as a mechanism for territorial control and community subjugation

(Tenemaza-Ponce et al., 2025). Female students and mothers living in areas under criminal

control become trapped in dynamics of violence that conventional codes of conduct,

designed strictly for the school perimeter, are unable to contain or intervene in, requiring

differentiated, intersectoral responses.

1.5 Relevant Regulations and Legislation

Analyzing the relevance of codes of conduct requires a review of the legal framework that

underpins them. Ecuador has a legal framework that, in theory, offers broad protections in

the areas of human rights, education, and violence prevention. However, the gap between

the written law and its effective application is one of the most pressing institutional

concerns.

The following section systematizes the normative hierarchy that governs and defines the

formulation of these instruments within the national education system:

1. Constitution of the Republic (2008): Supreme law that establishes in Article 26

education as a fundamental, inalienable, and non-excusable right of the State,

prioritizing the best interests of the child and the principle of shared social

responsibility

2. Organic Law of Intercultural Education (LOEI): Specific regulatory framework

that defines the structure of the education system, promotes the principles of a

Culture of Peace, and mandates Codes of Conduct as mechanisms for institutional

self-regulation.

3. Comprehensive Organic Criminal Code (COIP): State punitive instrument that

defines criminal conduct, micro-trafficking, and hate crimes or acts of violence that

may occur within the school environment, delineating the boundaries between

administrative sanctions and criminal proceedings.

4. Guidelines of the Ministry of Education: Technical and methodological guidelines

issued by the national education authority to guide the development, dissemination,

and formal validation of codes of conduct in the circuits and districts.

Having considered this brief systematization of current regulations, it is crucial to note that

legislative proliferation does not, in itself, guarantee the effectiveness of the law. Ecuador

possesses a robust legal framework on paper; however, the capacity for implementation

and punitive enforcement of these regulations is hampered by institutional weakness and

pressures from the criminal environment (Maldonado-Aranda and Vera-Cabrera, 2025).

Codes of conduct operate within this same precarious ecosystem, which structurally limits

their capacity for real impact.

1.6 Journalistic evidence and press reports

Journalistic coverage of the security crisis in Ecuador has been extensive. The media has

played a fundamental role in making the magnitude of the phenomenon visible to the public,

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providing factual data that complements academic analysis and allows for tracing the

crisis's evolution over time. In September 2023, the newspaper El Comercio reported the

dismantling of infrastructure for processing illicit substances in border areas,

demonstrating Ecuador's qualitative leap within the international drug trafficking logistics

chain (El Comercio, September 23, 2023). This same publication historically documented

the institutional optimization processes of 2018, which involved the reduction or merger of

state entities linked to security and justice coordination—a factor that analysts associate

with the progressive weakening of territorial governance and its subsequent repercussions

in school communities (El Comercio, 2018).

On the other hand, the Ecuavisa network, through its news program Televistazo, reported

in March 2024 specific statistical variations in violent death rates during the first months of

the year, presented within the context of the declaration of a state of emergency and the

government's emergency measures (Ecuavisa, March 1, 2024). However, the specialists

consulted for that report emphasized that, beyond these temporary fluctuations, absolute

crime levels remained historically high and that the sustainability of these reductions

depended on profound structural reforms and not solely on temporary police interventions.

2. Methodology

To lend scientific rigor to the present analysis, a methodological structure based on

systematic and sequential processes has been designed:

● Research Approach: A qualitative design was adopted under the interpretive-

hermeneutic paradigm, which allows for the analysis of theoretical assumptions by

confronting them with the social and phenomenological reality of school insecurity

based on pre-established analytical categories.

● Level of Research: Exploratory-descriptive in nature, aimed at specifying the

characteristics, profiles, and critical properties of educational communities affected

by the dynamics of organized crime. The primary method employed was systematic

bibliographic-documentary analysis, based on an inductive view of reality.

● Type of Research: Cross-sectional documentary research was combined with

advanced literature review, allowing for the comparison of normative theoretical

categories with the factual conditions of systematization recorded in recent scientific

literature.

3. Sample selection criteria (inclusion and exclusion)

For the formation of the documentary sample, the following inclusion and exclusion criteria

were strictly defined, guaranteeing the relevance, validity and scientific rigor of the corpus

analyzed:

3.1. Inclusion criteria:

1. ubject Matter: Studies, scientific articles, institutional reports, and legal

frameworks that directly address school coexistence, institutional security,

educational regulations (such as the LOEI), and the impact of the socio-

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criminal context in classrooms.

2. Timeframe: Documents published within the last five years, prioritizing

cutting-edge research that reflects the most recent social transformations.

3. Type: Articles indexed in high-impact scientific databases (Scopus, SciELO,

Latindex), postgraduate theses, and official regulatory documents.

4. Language: Publications in Spanish and English.

3.2. Exclusion criteria:

1. Documents that address social violence in a general way without a direct

link to or applicability within the pedagogical or institutional sphere of

education.

2. Opinion pieces, blogs, or grey literature that lack peer review or institutional

validation, which could introduce bias.

3. Duplicate publications or publications that repeat the same findings by the

same author in different repositories.

3.3. Data collection techniques and instruments

The primary technique employed was bibliographic and documentary review, which

enabled the tracing and critical selection of the literature. The following instruments were

designed and used for recording and systematizing the information.:

1. Content synthesis matrices: used in the initial phase to map the selected sample.

These matrices tabulated key data such as: author, year, source objectives,

methodology used, main variables or categories, and an analytical summary of the

main conclusions.

2. Information analysis matrices: used in the in-depth coding phase. This

instrument was structured according to the emerging research categories

(normative challenges, evolution of social violence, school coexistence strategies).

The theoretical postulates and evidence supporting the study were extracted from

these matrices both textually and analytically.

3.4. Information analysis mechanisms

The processing and interpretation of the collected data were not limited to a linear

description, but were carried out using the following high-level analytical mechanisms:

1. Contrastive analysis: The matrix findings were organized according to the study

categories. This allowed for a comparison of different researchers' perspectives on

the same reality (for example, contrasting how the theoretical literature perceives

the effectiveness of current regulatory reforms in addressing security demands in

the territory).

2. Triangulation of documentary sources: A methodological triangulation was

applied to compare three fundamental axes:

1. Current legal regulations (state regulatory frameworks).

2. Specialized scientific and empirical literature (case studies and context

analyses by contemporary authors).

3. Reported factual realities regarding coexistence in classrooms.

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Through this triangulation, the gaps between the rigidity of previous regulatory

instruments and the dynamic demands of current social reality were identified,

guaranteeing the internal validity and objectivity of the conclusions reached.

4. Results and discussion: the conflict of coexistence

4.1. The impact of insecurity on learning

Contemporary scientific literature suggests that, to achieve favorable results in teaching and

learning processes, teachers must stimulate curiosity and cognitive interest through

innovative methodological environments. However, in a context strained by the narco-state,

students' intrinsic motivation is fragmented by the emergence of models of rapid

socioeconomic success linked to criminal economies.

The application of dynamic pedagogical strategies is imperative to maintain student

retention, but the scarcity of institutional resources and the lack of teacher training in

managing critical environments limit this possibility. As UNESCO points out, structuring

innovative learning environments requires minimum conditions of security and

infrastructure (UNESCO, 2019); a premise that becomes utopian within schools where

technological connectivity and control of physical space are conditioned by the interference

of local criminal organizations. Consequently, the general provisions of the LOEI risk

becoming merely nominal pronouncements devoid of practical effectiveness due to their

superficial application in the most socially vulnerable territories. This scenario

demonstrates that the core problem of the education system does not necessarily lie in the

absence of regulatory frameworks, codes, or formalized decrees, but rather in the lack of

effective mechanisms for implementing, monitoring, and enforcing the law in the face of

highly complex contingencies.

To analytically contrast the aspects discussed above, Table 1 summarizes the main

contradictions identified between the formal spirit of the law and current territorial

dynamics.

Analytical dimension

LOEI Guidelines

(Theoretical Framework)

Institutional Reality

(Narco-State Context)

Citizen participation

Democratic and collective

construction of the code

by educational actors.

Coercion, intimidation,

and conditioning by

external criminal actors.

Conflict resolution

Prioritization of

community mediation,

institutional dialogue and

consensus.

Interference of forceful

and coercive tactics

characteristic of

organized crime.

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Learning environment

Guarantee of a safe,

motivating and inclusive

physical and

psychological space.

A scenario of high

vulnerability, lack of

protection, and struggle

for territorial control.

Table 1. Matrix of institutional contradictions: Regulatory framework vs. Dynamics of criminal cooptation

4.2 Analysis of regulatory relevance

The normative analysis of these instruments cannot be limited to a linear reading of the

legal texts, but rather requires a multidimensional approach that understands the gap

between formal positive law and the factual dimension. It is observed that current codes of

conduct, although formally compliant with the technical requirements of the Ministry of

Education and specific regulations, do not produce consistent results in the face of external

threats of a macro-criminal nature. These instruments exhibit severe limitations in

attempting to articulate the comprehensive education of students within a community

environment affected by systematic violence, a state incapable of acting, and institutions

tainted by rampant corruption.

● Curriculum gap and factual disconnect: A structural difficulty is identified in

relating the conceptual premises of a culture of peace to the daily experiences of

students in high-risk areas, where the peaceful resolution of conflicts faces imposed

codes of silence.

● School dropout and exposure to risk: The complexity of the educational

environment translates into high rates of pedagogical vulnerability. This reality

demands the urgent design of new strategies that go beyond classroom teaching and

establish genuine protocols for physical and psychosocial protection.

○ The teaching profession is compelled to transform the traditional

environment to meet the demands of new interactive methodologies;

however, under the pressure of the narco-state, the role of the educator is

frequently displaced towards a practice of administrative survival and

containment of immediate crises.

5. Conclusions

Research shows that modern management of school codes of conduct must strengthen the

theoretical and practical integration of human security principles, enabling autonomous

and collective learning processes even within hostile community environments. It is

imperative to link school codes of conduct with macro-level state strategies for social crime

prevention. These strategies should include ongoing psychosocial support programs,

pathways to employment and education for at-risk youth, and the strengthening of

community protection networks.

It is necessary to recognize that codes of conduct cannot, in isolation, address the structural

deficiencies of the state. Their effectiveness is linked to the existence of a public apparatus

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that guarantees basic conditions of citizen security, thus revaluing these instruments as

genuine tools for promoting harmony in schools. Strengthening institutional coordination

at the circuit, district, and zone levels is an essential condition for the effectiveness of any

regulatory reform. Continuing teacher training programs are required to incorporate

specific competencies in institutional risk management, school safety, and crisis mediation,

enabling teachers to provide timely responses that contribute to safeguarding the integrity

of the educational community.

The practical relevance of the Organic Law of Intercultural Education (LOEI) to the

phenomenon analyzed is partial. Current legal guidelines demand an urgent regulatory and

operational adaptation that empowers educational institutions to become more organized,

participatory, and critical spaces in the face of the surrounding geopolitical and criminal

reality. It is essential to design specific programs focused on preventing forced recruitment

by criminal organizations, prioritizing the educational reintegration of children and

adolescents in critically vulnerable situations by identifying their specific risk factors and

providing educational, cultural, sports, and artistic options.

The reconceptualization of school coexistence proposed in this study stems from the

necessary recognition that present-day Ecuador presents dynamics of violence that are

qualitatively different from those under which the codes of conduct were originally

designed. Rethinking these regulatory frameworks requires doing so from the concrete

realities of the territories, integrating contributions from local, regional, and international

academia, under an ethical commitment to human rights that avoids both pessimistic

nihilism and naive optimism. Only from this perspective can these instruments aspire to be

true tools for resilience and social transformation. This problem requires a more

comprehensive approach, one that considers the educational environment as the optimal

space for the holistic development of the learner and as a genuine agent of social change.

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Author

GALO PALACIOS-TERÁN obtained his Doctorate in Educational Research from the

University of Alicante (Spain) in 2017. He obtained a Master's degree in Higher Education

and Gender Equity from the Faculty of Philosophy of the Central University of Ecuador in

2010; the title of Specialist in Design and Management of Educational and Social Projects

with a Gender Approach at the same institution in 2007; the title of Doctor of Jurisprudence

and Lawyer of the Courts of Justice of Ecuador at the Faculty of Jurisprudence, Political and

Licencia Creative Commons Atribución 4.0 Internacional (CC BY 4.0)

Revista Cátedra, 9(2), pp. 49-62, July-December 2026. e-ISSN:2631-2875

https://doi.org/10.29166/catedra.v9i2.9947

Social Sciences of the Central University of Ecuador in 2007; and the Bachelor's Degree in

Public and Social Sciences in 2004.

He currently works as a professor at the Faculty of Philosophy, Letters and Educational

Sciences of the Central University of Ecuador, assigned to the Pedagogy of National and

Foreign Languages Career. He has taught in postgraduate programs at the Central

University of Ecuador, the Technical University of Cotopaxi, the University of Los Andes

(Venezuela) and the University of Technology and Education (Miami, USA). Its main lines of

research cover Foreign Language Didactics, Critical Pedagogy, Educational Deontology and

Legislation, Teacher Training and Specific Educational Needs.

Statement on the use of artificial intelligence

The author declares that the Gemini software was used only partially during the manuscript

revision stage, focusing exclusively on syntactic restructuring of specific paragraphs,

evaluating stylistic variations for titles, and optimizing the text's structure. The fundamental

tasks related to methodological design, analytical literature review, critical discussion, and

the formulation of academic conclusions were carried out entirely by the author, who

assumes full scientific responsibility for the accuracy, content, and rigor of this document.

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