Calling racism by its name: forms of violence in the articulation or omission of racism in Ecuador

In Ecuador, the ideology of mestizaje has resulted in the denial or minimization of racism against Indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples. This denial coexists, however, with the consciousness of racialized difference. If racism is most of the time minimized and naturalized, in this paper I propose that we need to consider the circumstances that may generate awareness of racism and a public speaking up against it. Comparing two cases involving Afro-descendant and Indigenous people in conflict with external actors, I analyze the role that different forms of violence play in the public articulation of racism. I contend that violent physical conflict may result in breaking the silence on state racism, while diffuse or slow forms of violence may result in the backgrounding of explicit denunciations of racism.