Photo credit: BBC
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa escaped an assassination attempt after over 500 people attacked his convoy.
India Today reports that they threw rocks at his vehicle.
According to officials, the president’s car showed “signs of bullet damage.” However, the president was not harmed.
Five people have been detained following the incident, according to the Environment and Energy Minister Ines Manzano. He officially filed a report of an assassination attempt with prosecutors.
Hours after the attack, President Noboa addressed students at an event. He urged citizens not to give in to acts of violence or intimidation.
Video footage released by the presidency showed rocks being thrown at the convoy and cracks on the car’s windows. Another image revealed a vehicle with shattered glass and a severely damaged windscreen.
The national Indigenous federation, CONAIE, condemned what it described as a “brutal police and military action” against protesters gathered for Noboa’s arrival. The body had been leading a nationwide strike for more than two weeks to protest the government’s decision to scrap diesel subsidies. They are saying it will hit small farmers and Indigenous communities hardest. Protesters have blocked roads and staged demonstrations across several provinces.
President Noboa’s decree, signed in September, eliminating fuel subsidies, has been one of the government’s most contentious economic measures. The government has declared states of emergency in several regions to prevent further unrest.
