The Christian Democratic Union ( es, Unión Demócrata Cristiana, ''UDC), formerly known as Popular Democracy ( es, Democracia Popular, DP) was a

Christian democratic Christian democracy (sometimes named Centrist democracy) is a political ideology that emerged in 19th-century Europe under the influence of Catholic social teaching and neo-Calvinism. It was conceived as a combination of modern democratic ...

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology ...

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar language, Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechuan ...

. It was formed in the 1970s by centrist Christian Democrats who had left the Social Christian Party and the left wing of the Conservative Party who were oriented towards

Liberation theology Liberation theology is a Christian theological approach emphasizing the liberation of the oppressed. In certain contexts, it engages socio-economic analyses, with "social concern for the poor and political liberation for oppressed peoples". ...

. It officially registered as a political party in 1979. It was originally considered a

centre-left Centre-left politics lean to the left on the left–right political spectrum but are closer to the centre than other left-wing politics. Those on the centre-left believe in working within the established systems to improve social justice. The ...

party. Later in the 1990s, it shifted to the centre-right. It reached its first great success in 1978 when party member

Osvaldo Hurtado Luis Osvaldo Hurtado Larrea (born 26 June 1939) is an Ecuadorian author and politician who served as President of Ecuador from 24 May 1981 to 10 August 1984. Hurtado was born in Chambo, Chimborazo Province. During his studies at the Cathol ...

became the running mate on the successful presidential ticket of Jaime Roldós of the Concentration of People's Forces. Hurtado served as President of Ecuador from 1981 to 1984 due to Roldós's death in office. It was Ecuador's largest political party, having won 35% of the seats in the 1998 elections to the Congreso Nacional. In the 1998 presidential elections, party member Jamil Mahuad was elected president, and after a coup d'état and brief military rule, he was succeeded in 2000 by the vice-president, Gustavo Noboa, who was also in the party. At the

legislative A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government. Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known ...

elections An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has opera ...

, 20 October 2002, the party won 4 out of 100 seats. In 2006, it dropped the name of Popular Democracy and took the current one. At the elections, held in October 2006, it won 2 seats in the Congress. It had no presidential candidate. The UDC was a member of the

Christian Democrat Organization of America The Christian Democrat Organization of America (ODCA, Spanish: ''Organización Demócrata Cristiana de América''; Portuguese: ''Organização Democrata Cristã da América'') is an international organization made up of political parties, groups, ...

, continental organization of the

Centrist Democrat International The Centrist Democrat International ( es, Internacional Demócrata de Centro) is a Christian-democratic political international. Until 2001, it was known as the Christian Democrat International (CDI); before 1999, it was known as the Christian ...

. In 2013, the UDC was dissolved after the National Congress of the party.

References

1977 establishments in Ecuador 2013 disestablishments in Ecuador Catholic political parties Christian democratic parties in South America Christianity in Ecuador Conservative parties in Ecuador Defunct political parties in Ecuador Political parties disestablished in 2013 Political parties established in 1977 {{Ecuador-party-stub