Ecuador and its two OTI member stations, Teleamazonas and Ecuavisa debuted in the OTI Festival in 1974 in the third edition of the festival, which was held in the coastal city of Acapulco, with the singer Hilda Murillo with her song "Las mariposas" (The butterflies).

The Ecuatorian debut in the OTI Festival was successful because of Hilda Murillo's fifth place.

After that, the country didn't repeat that success, and in the following two years, the delegation ended in the bottom five of the scoreboard.

However, in 1977 the female singer Marielisa with her song "Sonreir cuando quiero llorar" (To smile when I want to cry) took the Ecuadorian broadcasters back to fifth place.

[2] Ecuavisa and Teleamazonas also organised an annual national contest in order to select the Ecuatorian participant in the OTI Festival.