Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana, Quito

Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana (CCE) is an autonomous institution of cultural management that has been operating since 1944. It is based in the city of Quito, but it also has offices in almost all the provinces of the country. The CCE aims to contribute to the development of cultural rights and programmatic principles, framed in the cultural public policy of the Ecuadorian State.

The idea of creating such an institution came from the mind of the politician and journalist from Loja, Benjamin Carrion. He saw in culture a superior force that could raise the morale of the country after the military defeat in the Peruvian-Ecuadorian War of 1941. Carrión cited the example of small nations such as Greece and Israel, capable of being among the most civilized and cultured in universal history.

According to the organic law of the CCE, the institution aims to guide the development of national and universal culture, stimulate its knowledge, and disseminate the values of Ecuadorian culture at the national and international level. It also aims to integrate the diverse cultures of the country in conditions of equality through cultural programs and initiatives to consolidate and strengthen the identity of the Ecuadorian nation.