This document contains the results of the project "The role of law in the protection of tropical forest in Ecuador's Amazonian region". Taking the Ecuadorian experience as an example, the study examines the potential and limitations of law and legal administration with respect to the conservation and sustainable use of tropical forests. The report, written in Spanish, gives an overview of the situation of Ecuador's forests and the history of its forest policy and laws. The role of the Ecuadorian Institute of Forests and Natural Areas (INEFAN) is described, especially in relation to the protection of nature reserves. Two case studies - in a protected and non-protected area, respectively - make clear what problems related to forest protection can be encountered at local level when executing laws. The concluding chapter examines the conditions for greater effectiveness in the implementation of forest policy and law