A top minister confirmed on Tuesday that Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa emerged unharmed after an apparent gun attack targeted his motorcade. Environment Minister Ines Manzano stated that hundreds of protesters descended on Noboa’s convoy while he was opening a new water treatment plant in central Ecuador. This incident signals the volatile political climate currently gripping the South American nation.
Motorcade Under Siege
Furthermore, Manzano confirmed that approximately “500 people showed up and were throwing stones at him, and there are obviously bullet marks visible on the president’s official vehicle as well.” She consequently added, “Thank God, our president remains very firm and brave, as he keeps moving forward and carries out his agenda as usual.” A voice inside the SUV shouted urgently, “Cover your head! Cover your head!” just as projectiles thudded into the vehicle and shattered at least one window.
Separately, the government released video footage from inside the motorcade showing flag-draped protesters scrambling frantically to find rocks and bricks to hurl at the presidential vehicle as it sped past.
Cartels Accused of Instigating Violence
The attack occurred because Ecuador has faced days of sometimes violent protests over the recent controversial move to drastically raise diesel prices nationwide. This planned hike has inflamed deep social tensions, creating an environment ripe for manipulation by criminal groups.
Consequently, the government has now formally accused powerful drug cartels, who currently vie for control of cocaine trading routes, of directly instigating the widespread violent unrest.
