La ineficiencia administrativa como violencia institucional y su efecto en la cultura de paz

Abstract

This article analyzes how administrative inefficiency in Ecuador can become a form of institutional violence and how it affects the construction of a culture of peace. Using a qualitative, exploratory, and explanatory approach, the study examines the current legal framework, especially the 2008 Constitution, the Organic Administrative Code, and the Organic Law of Public Service, as well as recent public policies such as the 2025 Administrative Efficiency Plan and the 2024–2028 National Plan for Public Integrity and the Fight against Corruption. The article connects concepts from peace studies (negative peace, positive peace, and imperfect peace) with the right to good administration, arguing that delays, excessive bureaucracy, disorganization, and the lack of timely responses are not only technical failures, but also forms of institutional violence that affect people’s dignity and weaken trust in public institutions. The study concludes that administrative inefficiency deteriorates the structural conditions needed to build a culture of peace, and that public administration should be understood as an actor with the capacity to promote peace through ethical, efficient, and rights-based practices.