Ecuador's president Daniel Noboa came out unharmed following his presidential motorcade was targeted by rock-hurling protesters and what authorities described as potential gunfire.
The president was inaugurating a water treatment plant in the country's central region when his motorcade was set upon by a sizeable crowd protesting against rising fuel prices.
About five hundred individuals showed up and were hurling rocks at him, and there are clearly bullet marks on the official vehicle
stated the country's environmental official.
Authorities confirmed that five individuals were arrested and would stand court proceedings on terrorism charges – an offense carrying a highest penalty of three decades in prison.
Recorded material released by the government shows protesters positioned in the road, draped in flags, rushing to collect large stones and building blocks.
When the presidential SUV drove by, projectiles slammed into the exterior and shattered glass.
Someone could be heard yelling: "Duck! Get down!" as the vehicle accelerated from the scene.
Officials indicated they were continuing to examine whether some of the damage on Noboa's armored vehicle were caused by bullet impacts.
This reported incident occurred amid several days of progressively aggressive protests triggered by a government decision to raise fuel costs.
Demonstrators have gone on strike, obstructed highways and taken sixteen military personnel – who were eventually released unharmed.
The country's largest native group stated that a protester had been fatally injured by armed forces during a the rallies.
Over one hundred individuals, including demonstrators and law enforcement, are thought to have been injured in the unrest.
The president has imposed a state of emergency across several provinces.
Noboa's office stated on social media following the attack that "such actions will not deter" the leader.
The head of the Organization of American States said that "such violent acts are an attack on democratic principles, stability, and the principle of peaceful coexistence that must dominate in our societies."
Noboa is trying to cut fuel support to save about $1bn in government spending, diverting much of the savings to security funding.
Ecuador, once considered one of Latin America's safest countries, has experienced a significant increase in violence in the past few years.
Positioned between two neighboring countries, two of the planet's biggest cocaine producers, the country has transformed into a major transportation center for narcotics.
Officials have accused cartels of fueling the protests, implying that illegal organizations are taking advantage of the demonstrations to disrupt the country.
Reports indicate that 70% of the global illegal drug market transits via Ecuador, much of it headed for the United States.
The trade has drawn international criminal organizations, including Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel, Italy's 'Ndrangheta, and Albanian criminal networks.
The rivalry for control of smuggling corridors has turned Ecuador into one of the region's most dangerous places.
Noboa has proposed a public vote to permit the return of American military to the country, repealing a previous restriction on international military installations.
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