CRIA | QPD Research Group — 4th Seminar
Seminar | Sumak Kawsay y finanzas sostenibles: evidencia sobre el rol de las cooperativas indígenas en el sistema financiero ecuatoriano
The QPD Research Group – Everyday Life, Politics and Inequalities invites you to its fourth meeting, organised by Giacomo Montavan and Patrícia Alves Matos, with a presentation by Diego Raza-Carrillo.
Date: 4 December 2025
Time: 17:30 – 19:00
Venue: Iscte – University Institute of Lisbon, Building 4, Room B226
LINK TEAMS: 4ºSEMINARIO 2025-2026 - GI QPD | Sumak Kawsay y finanzas sostenibles: evidencia sobre el rol de las cooperativas indígenas en el sistema financiero ecuatoriano | Meeting-Join | Microsoft Teams
About the seminar
This research examines the role of Ecuador’s indigenous savings and credit cooperatives as expressions of solidarity-based economies in contexts of financial exclusion. Using a mixed-methods approach and SEPS data, the study compares their financial performance with that of non-indigenous cooperatives across indicators such as profitability, default rates, liquidity, efficiency, solvency, and coverage.
The results show lower profitability, but also greater control over default, grounded in management practices based on community values such as ayni, minka and sumak kawsay. These cooperatives combine ancestral principles with modern organisational tools, forming a hybrid model of inclusive development. However, tensions remain between social sustainability and financial profitability.
About the guest researcher
Diego Raza-Carrillo is Director of the Management Area, Academic Coordinator of the Master’s in Financial Management and Financial Risk Administration, and President of the Interinstitutional Projects Committee at the Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar, Ecuador Campus, where he also serves as a member of the Higher Council.
Holding a PhD in Education, an MBA, a Master’s in Financial Management and a degree in Economics, his academic and research work focuses on the social and solidarity economy, inclusive finance, cooperativism, and sustainable organisational management. He has led several projects and publications on alternative development models and solidarity-based finance.
In this research, he analyses the financial performance and social contribution of Ecuador’s indigenous savings and credit cooperatives through an intercultural lens that integrates Andean principles with contemporary management practices.
Free entry!
Join us for another GI QPD event dedicated to critical reflection on everyday life, politics, inequalities, and alternative economic models.
