President Survives Violent Attack on Motorcade – Officials Call It an Assassination Attempt

Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa narrowly escaped harm Tuesday after his motorcade was ambushed by a furious crowd throwing rocks — and possibly bullets — during a protest over fuel subsidy cuts that has ignited anger across the country.

According to Ecuador’s Environment and Energy Minister Ines Manzano, the assault appeared to be more than just an outburst of rage. “This was not a protest. This was an assassination attempt,” she said after filing an official report with prosecutors. “Shooting at the president’s car, throwing stones, damaging state property — that’s just criminal. We will not allow this.”

The attack unfolded as Noboa’s convoy drove through the Azuay province, about 48 miles south of Cuenca, where roughly 500 demonstrators had gathered to protest the president’s decision to eliminate fuel subsidies. Witnesses described the scene as chaotic, with crowds surrounding the vehicles, shouting, and pelting the president’s car with stones.

Photos released by the presidential office showed Noboa’s black SUV riddled with cracks across its windshield and windows. Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo shared another image of the 37-year-old president standing calmly beside the damaged car, wearing sunglasses. “Nothing stops this president — and that’s the best sign Ecuador won’t be stopped either,” Loffredo wrote.

Authorities said five people were detained following the attack. Noboa’s office later announced that the suspects would face charges of terrorism and attempted assassination.

Speaking hours later at a student event in Cuenca, Noboa struck a defiant tone. “Do not follow the bad example of those who tried to stop us from being here today,” he told the audience. “Such attacks will not be accepted in the new Ecuador. The law applies to everyone.”

A video released by the presidency showed people throwing rocks at passing vehicles as the president’s convoy sped past. Officials said investigators were still examining whether the damage to Noboa’s car included bullet impacts.

The protests, led by the powerful Indigenous federation CONAIE, have entered their third week. Demonstrators have blocked roads and staged strikes in multiple provinces since Noboa signed a decree in mid-September ending long-standing diesel subsidies.

The government insists the cuts are necessary to stabilize Ecuador’s finances, claiming they will save more than $1 billion a year — funds it says are being redirected toward small farmers and transport workers in the form of compensation payments.

But critics say the move will hit rural and Indigenous communities hardest by raising the cost of food and transportation.

CONAIE, which played a key role in mass uprisings that toppled two presidents in the early 2000s, accused security forces of using “brutal police and military action” against peaceful protesters. The group posted videos on X showing elderly women in traditional dress being detained by officers in riot gear.

“At least five of us have been arbitrarily detained,” CONAIE said in a statement, vowing to continue demonstrations until the decree is repealed.

President Noboa, who was re-elected in April on a tough-on-crime platform, has repeatedly granted emergency powers to police and the military amid escalating violence from drug cartels and organized gangs.

His decision to end fuel subsidies was seen as an attempt to shore up Ecuador’s struggling economy and attract foreign investment. But the move has deepened public discontent, even among some who once supported his anti-corruption message.

Analysts warn the attack could mark a dangerous escalation in Ecuador’s growing instability. “The fact that the president’s convoy was targeted in broad daylight shows how fragile the security situation has become,” said Quito-based political analyst Juan Carlos Rivera. “This isn’t just about fuel — it’s about frustration, inequality, and fear.”

Governments across Central America — including Costa Rica, Honduras, and Panama — condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with Noboa.

In Quito, about 200 protesters later marched through the capital demanding his resignation. Police blocked their route, and the crowd dispersed without further violence.

For now, Ecuador’s president remains unshaken — but his message is clear. “We will continue,” Noboa said. “No one can stop Ecuador from moving forward.”

Read original at Reuters