The nation's president Daniel Noboa came out unharmed following his official convoy was targeted by stone-throwing demonstrators and what officials described as potential gunfire.
Noboa was inaugurating a water purification facility in central Ecuador when his motorcade was set upon by a large group protesting against increasing energy costs.
About 500 people appeared and were throwing stones at him, and there are obviously bullet marks on the president's car
commented Ecuador's environment minister.
Authorities confirmed that five people were detained and would face court proceedings on terrorism accusations – an crime carrying a highest penalty of 30 years in prison.
Recorded material made public by the administration depicts protesters positioned in the road, draped in flags, rushing to gather sizeable rocks and building blocks.
As the presidential SUV drove by, projectiles slammed into the exterior and shattered glass.
Someone could be heard yelling: "Heads down! Heads down!" as the car accelerated from the scene.
Authorities said they were continuing to examine whether certain of the impact marks on the president's protected vehicle were caused by gunfire.
This reported attack came amid several days of progressively aggressive demonstrations sparked by a administration's move to raise diesel prices.
Demonstrators have gone on strike, obstructed highways and taken sixteen military personnel – who were subsequently freed unharmed.
The country's biggest native group stated that a protester had been killed by security personnel during a the rallies.
More than one hundred individuals, including protesters and law enforcement, are thought to have been hurt in the unrest.
Noboa has declared a emergency measures across multiple regions.
The presidential administration said on digital platforms after the attack that "cowardly acts will not stop" the president.
A senior official of the Organization of American States commented that "such violent acts are an assault on democracy, stability, and the principle of peaceful coexistence that must prevail in our societies."
Noboa is trying to reduce fuel support to save about one billion dollars in government spending, diverting a significant portion of the savings to security funding.
Ecuador, previously regarded one of Latin America's safest countries, has experienced a dramatic surge in violence in recent years.
Positioned between two neighboring countries, both the world's largest cocaine producers, the country has become a significant transit hub for narcotics.
Officials have accused drug gangs of fueling the unrest, suggesting that illegal organizations are taking advantage of the protests to destabilize the nation.
It is estimated that seventy percent of the world's cocaine supply transits via the country, a large portion of it headed for the United States.
The trade has attracted international criminal organizations, including Mexican drug cartels, Italian mafia groups, and Albania's mafia.
Their competition for dominance of trafficking routes has transformed the nation into one of the region's most dangerous locations.
Noboa has proposed a public vote to allow the return of American military to the nation, overturning a 2009 ban on international military installations.
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By Laura Miller
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12 Sep 2026
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By Laura Miller
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By Laura Miller
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12 Sep 2026
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By Laura Miller
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12 Sep 2026