FIVE individuals have been arrested following an alleged assassination attempt on Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, authorities confirmed Tuesday.
According to Energy Minister Ines Manzano, Noboa’s convoy was attacked by a crowd of about 500 people throwing rocks as it traveled to Cañar province, where the president was scheduled to unveil new infrastructure projects.
Manzano said bullet marks were later discovered on the president’s vehicle, though Noboa was unharmed.
“Shooting at the president’s car, throwing stones, damaging state property, that’s just criminal,” she said. “We will not allow this.”
A video released by the Ecuadorian presidency showed a chaotic scene as hundreds of people lined both sides of the road, shouting and hurling rocks at the motorcade.
Cracked windows and shouts urging passengers to duck could be seen and heard in the footage.
Authorities said the five suspects face charges of terrorism and attempted murder.
This marks the second attack on Noboa’s convoy in recent months.
In September, roughly 350 protesters ambushed a motorcade carrying the president and foreign diplomats in Imbabura province using rocks, fireworks, and Molotov cocktails.
The attacks come amid intensifying unrest in Ecuador, following the government’s decision to end a long-standing diesel subsidy to reduce public spending and combat fuel smuggling.
The move has sparked nationwide demonstrations, largely led by Indigenous groups, who accuse the government of repression and environmental exploitation.
In the wake of the latest incident, the national Indigenous confederation CONAIE claimed that the five people arrested were peaceful protesters who were assaulted during a “brutal police and military action.”
Over the weekend, Noboa’s administration declared a state of emergency in 10 provinces, citing “serious internal unrest.”
The measure allows for heightened security operations but does not ban peaceful assemblies.
Despite the violence, Noboa has stood firm on his policy. “Those who choose violence will face the law. Those who act like criminals will be treated as criminals,” the president wrote on X.