While Buen Vivir (good living) and Sumak Kawsay give name to a broad set of demands and aspirations that emerged in the last years of the twentieth century against the so-called “neoliberal model”, however in its meaning structure, these terms are not entirely equivalents, there are disputes about its significance and its implications for public action. In this article, I analyze the meanings and contradictions that appear in trying to translate these terms into specific instruments of public policy.