The coastal communes of Ecuador against COVID-19. Social alliances, territory, autonomy and dependency

During the months of March to May of this year, the number of those who died due to COVID-19 began to grow dramatically in the communes of Santa Elena. A panorama of despair, insecurity and monetary precariousness emerged. The tourist decline, unemployment and famine were some of the characteristics at this point. Under this scenario, community actions were generated, social alliances were activated and a reconnection with the territory as a sociocultural space emerged, central pillars that support the community project. The data presented here are the result of a database that was carried out during these months with the aim of making visible the current situation of the 70 Communes of Santa Elena during the state of emergency. At the same time, the methodology used to socialize the data with community leaders invites us to think about new methods within the academic context.