Ecuador's president Daniel Noboa emerged without injury after his presidential motorcade was attacked by rock-hurling protesters and what authorities characterized as possible gunfire.
The president was inaugurating a water treatment plant in central Ecuador when his motorcade was set upon by a large group protesting against increasing fuel prices.
About five hundred individuals showed up and were throwing stones at him, and there are clearly gunshot impacts on the official vehicle
commented the country's environment minister.
Officials reported that five people were arrested and would face court proceedings on terrorism accusations – an offense carrying a maximum punishment of three decades in prison.
Recorded material released by the government depicts protesters positioned in the street, draped in banners, rushing to collect large stones and bricks.
As the official vehicle drove by, projectiles thudded into the exterior and shattered glass.
Someone could be audible yelling: "Heads down! Get down!" as the car sped away.
Officials said they were still investigating whether some of the impact marks on Noboa's protected vehicle were resulted from bullet impacts.
The alleged attack occurred amid several days of progressively aggressive protests triggered by a government decision to raise diesel prices.
Protesters have gone on strike, obstructed highways and taken sixteen military personnel – who were eventually released without injury.
The country's largest Indigenous organization reported that a demonstrator had been killed by armed forces during a the protests.
Over 100 people, including demonstrators and security services, are believed to have been injured in the violence.
The president has declared a state of emergency across several regions.
The presidential administration said on digital platforms after the incident that "cowardly acts will not stop" the president.
A senior official of the Organization of American States said that "these actions are an attack on democracy, stability, and the principle of peaceful coexistence that must prevail in our nations."
Noboa is attempting to reduce diesel subsidies to conserve about $1bn in public expenditure, redirecting a significant portion of the savings to security funding.
The nation, previously regarded one of Latin America's safest countries, has seen a dramatic surge in violence in recent years.
Strategically located between two neighboring countries, both the planet's biggest cocaine producers, the country has transformed into a significant transit hub for illegal drugs.
Officials have alleged cartels of fueling the protests, suggesting that illegal organizations are exploiting the demonstrations to destabilize the nation.
Reports indicate that 70% of the global illegal drug market passes through Ecuador, much of it headed for the US.
The trade has attracted international criminal organizations, including Mexican drug cartels, Italian mafia groups, and Albanian criminal networks.
The rivalry for control of trafficking routes has turned the nation into one of the area's most dangerous places.
Noboa has called for a referendum to permit the return of US troops to the nation, repealing a previous restriction on international military installations.
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