The incident happened amid protests against Daniel Noboa’s reforms which critics claim harm the country’s indigenous community
Five people have been detained following an alleged assassination attempt on Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, Energy Minister Ines Manzano announced on Tuesday. The incident happened amid protests against Noboa’s reforms which critics claim harm the country’s indigenous people.
The incident occurred when Noboa’s car was surrounded by around 500 protesters as he arrived in the south-central province of Canar – home to a large indigenous community – to unveil new infrastructure projects on water treatment and sewage. Footage released by the presidency and videos posted online show protesters hurling stones at the convoy, cracking the windows.
Manzano told reporters that Noboa’s car was badly damaged and police later found bullet marks on the exterior. The president was unharmed, but the minister said she has filed an official report of an “assassination attempt.” Five suspects have been detained in connection with the attack.
The president’s office later vowed accountability.
“Obeying orders to radicalize, they attacked a presidential motorcade carrying civilians. They attempted to forcibly prevent the delivery of a project intended to improve the lives of the community,” it said on X, adding that those arrested would be prosecuted for terrorism and attempted murder.
It was not the first attack on Noboa’s convoy. Last month, around 350 protesters stormed a motorcade carrying the president during demonstrations in Imbabura province.
The unrest follows Noboa’s economic and security reforms aimed at stabilizing Ecuador and curbing drug trafficking. His government recently ended a decades-old fuel subsidy, saying the move would cut spending and redirect funds to social programs. Critics, however, argued that the measure hurts low-income and indigenous families.
The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), the country’s main indigenous organization, launched a strike over the subsidy cut and led weeks of protests, blocking roads and clashing with police. The authorities claim that “terrorist groups” infiltrated the demonstrations, prompting a state of emergency in ten provinces over “serious internal unrest” last weekend.
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CONAIE acknowledged links to the convoy incident, writing on X that “five of us have been arbitrarily detained.” The group denied any assassination plot, however, instead accusing the government of “brutal police and military action” against demonstrators.
