Carlos Ernesto Herrera Acosta, Paula Alejandra Rodríguez-Borja, Emily Natalia Tituaña-Andrade, Almudena López-Torres, Sara Defranc-Roca
This study examines the degree of compliance with Ecuadorian public policies regarding equity and inclusion for priority attention groups, as established in Article 35 of the Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador. Using a qualitative methodology, three rulings from the Constitutional Court and two cases documented by the Ombudsman’s Office between 2023 and 2024 were analyzed. The cases were organized around the axes of health, education, and labor, allowing the identification of common patterns of exclusion, institutional omissions, and corrective measures adopted. The results show that, although the legal framework recognizes the rights of people in situations of vulnerability, significant obstacles persist in its practical implementation. Among the main challenges are the lack of reasonable accommodations in the educational context, persistent labor discrimination, and inefficiencies in the provision of priority care within the public health system. The analysis reveals that the gap between legal norms and real practice weakens the effectiveness of reinforced protection and highlights the need for structural reforms, stronger oversight, and operational policies that ensure dignified, nondiscriminatory attention.