Through the end of the First World War, Ecuador is best known globally as an exporter of cacao. The cacao crisis of the early 1920s marks a turning point in the country’s history. A military coup by young officers against the liberal, oligarchical government begins a period of political instability that will last more than twenty years. Export revenues plummet. Agricultural oligarchs, banks, the military, a nascent labor movement, and the small middle class each attempt to assert their economic interests in the country’s unstable political system. Between 1925 and 1948, 27 different governments attempt to get a firm hold on political power in the impoverished country. As a result, 1930s Ecuador is largely absorbed in its own domestic politics. Following a coup, there are five different presidencies between August 1935 and the end of 1938.

Ecuador is a belated destination for émigrés even though the immigration laws are comparatively lenient. It is perceived as a no-man’s-land on the Jewish atlas: As of 1936, only around 100 Jews live in Ecuador. After nearly all other destination countries close their doors, it becomes one of the last places of refuge. Because of the unstable political environment in Ecuador, the consulates in Europe have extensive discretion in their issuance of visas. Some diplomats are generous with this power; others abuse it as a source of additional income. However, the honorary consul in Berlin, whose reputation for zealous antisemitism precedes him, prevents any attempt by Jews to move to Ecuador. Approximately 3,500 to 4,000 Jews take refuge in the country before 1942.