Ecuadorian authorities have arrested five individuals in connection with what officials describe as an attempted assassination of President Daniel Noboa, the government announced.
According to the energy and environment minister, a crowd of roughly 500 protesters hurled rocks at the president’s convoy, damaging his vehicle and leaving “signs of bullet impact” on the car. The minister confirmed that President Noboa was unharmed during the incident.
A video shared with the BBC by the president’s office captures people throwing stones at a car, with three visible holes in one of its windows. However, the BBC has not independently verified whether the holes were caused by gunfire.
The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie) — the country’s largest Indigenous organization and leader of a nationwide strike — stated that “five of our members have been arbitrarily detained.”
Meanwhile, Noboa’s office said the detainees would face charges related to terrorism and attempted assassination.
Ecuador has been engulfed in unrest for more than two weeks, marked by violent clashes and road blockades.
The turmoil began after Conaie declared a national strike in opposition to the government’s decision to end diesel fuel subsidies.
The government has defended the policy, arguing that cutting the subsidy would save about $1.1 billion annually, funds that could instead support small-scale farmers and workers in the transport sector.
This was not the first attack on the president’s security convoy. Just last week, a group of demonstrators ambushed Noboa’s motorcade as he was traveling with senior representatives from the United Nations, European Union, Italy, and the Vatican.
At the time, the president and his delegation were delivering humanitarian aid to communities affected by the ongoing strike.
Noboa later shared photos on social media showing shattered windshields and damaged windows on vehicles within the convoy.
Reports also indicate that several military personnel were injured, and Conaie claims that one protester was killed during the confrontations.
Conaie has accused the Ecuadorian government of arbitrary arrests and an excessive crackdown on demonstrators.
In contrast, government officials have condemned the group’s actions as “criminal”, insisting that violent tactics and attacks on public officials cannot be tolerated.
Historically, Conaie has played a powerful role in Ecuadorian politics — it led mass uprisings that toppled three presidents between 1997 and 2005.
