Discourses and their implications on the field: A study of Rafael Correa's and Lenín Moreno's speeches on narcotrafficking in Ecuador during their presidential mandates (2007-2020)

Abstract

This paper seeks to give an overview of the framing adopted around narcotrafficking by Rafael Correa and Lenin Moreno during their presidential mandates in Ecuador. The first aim is to explore the role of Ecuador in the global narcotrafficking, understanding how the issue became prevalent with time and describing the recent dynamics that it brings in the daily life of the country. Next, the relations between discourses, the framing of an issue, power and the implications on the field are presented to show how they are linked. Then, with the Critical Analysis Discourse methodology developed by Van Djik, the space that narcotrafficking holds in the discourses of Rafael Correa and Lenin Moreno is examined, analysing the framings that they adopted to speak about the issue. Finally, commonalities and differences in framings are discussed, and the strategies employed by the two governments against narcotrafficking are critically assessed.