Ecuador President Escapes Attack on Motorcade

Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa emerged unharmed after his motorcade was targeted by stone-throwing protesters and what officials described as a volley of gunshots on Tuesday.

The attack occurred as Noboa was inaugurating a water treatment plant in central Ecuador, during demonstrations against rising fuel prices.

“About 500 people showed up and were throwing stones at him, and there are obviously bullet marks on the president’s car as well,” said Environment Minister Ines Manzano.

Five individuals were arrested and are set to stand trial on terrorism charges, which carry a maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment.

“This kind of protests, which are not peaceful, are not what we need,” Manzano added.

Government-released footage, reportedly filmed from inside the motorcade, shows protesters standing in the road, draped in flags, collecting large stones and bricks.

As the presidential armoured Chevrolet Suburban passed, projectiles hit the vehicle, shattering windows. A voice can be heard shouting: “Heads down! Heads down!”

Officials are investigating whether some of the impact marks were caused by gunfire.

The attack comes amid violent demonstrations sparked by a government decision to raise diesel prices.

Noboa has declared a state of emergency across several provinces.

The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador stated that the president’s convoy had “entered a resistance zone,” leading to incidents that the government now cites to justify its “war policy.” The group called for a resolution “with justice and respect.”

Following the attack, Noboa’s office posted on social media that “cowardly acts will not deter” the president. Messages of solidarity arrived from the foreign ministries of Panama, Costa Rica, Peru, and Bolivia.

Noboa, recently re-elected, is attempting to cut diesel subsidies, saving approximately $1 billion in government expenditure, a large portion of which is being redirected to security funding.

Ecuador, once considered one of Latin America’s safest nations, has experienced a surge in violence in recent years. Strategically located between Colombia and Peru, two of the world’s largest cocaine producers, Ecuador has become a major transit hub for narcotics.

Authorities allege that drug gangs have exploited the protests to destabilise the country. It is estimated that 70% of the world’s cocaine supply passes through Ecuador, much destined for the United States.

Criminal organisations involved include:

• Sinaloa Cartel (Mexico)
• ‘Ndrangheta (Italy)
• Albanian mafia

The competition for trafficking routes has contributed to Ecuador becoming one of the region’s most dangerous countries.

Noboa has called for a referendum to allow the return of US troops, repealing a 2009 ban on foreign bases.