Which Ecuadorian author wrote the novel 'Huasipungo'?

Jorge Icaza wrote the Ecuadorian novel Huasipungo.

Published in 1934, Huasipungo is Icaza’s best-known work and a major example of indigenismo, a Latin American literary movement focused on Indigenous peoples’ exploitation and marginalization. The novel portrays Indigenous laborers subjected to harsh conditions by landowners, with civil and religious authorities often reinforcing the system.

The title comes from Kichwa terms associated with a house or dwelling and its entrance. In the novel’s social context, a huasipungo was a small plot or dwelling granted to Indigenous workers in exchange for labor on an estate. This arrangement could appear reciprocal but often trapped families in dependency and abuse.

A common mix-up is to identify another Ecuadorian writer, such as Alfredo Pareja Diezcanseco or Demetrio Aguilera Malta, because both were important twentieth-century authors. Icaza, however, is the author specifically associated with Huasipungo. The novel was substantially revised in later Spanish editions, including versions published in 1953 and 1960.