(MENAFN) Ecuadorian authorities have detained five people following what officials described as an assassination attempt on President Daniel Noboa, Energy Minister Ines Manzano said on Tuesday. The attack took place amid ongoing protests against Noboa’s economic reforms, which critics claim disproportionately harm the country’s indigenous population.

The incident occurred in the province of Cañar, where Noboa was scheduled to inaugurate new water treatment and sewage infrastructure projects. According to officials, about 500 protesters surrounded the president’s convoy, throwing stones and other objects that cracked the vehicle’s windows.

Manzano told reporters that the presidential car sustained serious damage and that police later discovered bullet marks on its exterior. Noboa was unharmed.

“I have filed an official report of an assassination attempt,” Manzano said, confirming that five suspects had been detained.

In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), the president’s office condemned the attack, accusing radical groups of attempting to “forcibly prevent the delivery of a project intended to improve the lives of the community.” It vowed to prosecute those arrested on charges of terrorism and attempted murder.

This is the second attack on Noboa’s convoy in recent weeks. In September, demonstrators in Imbabura province similarly surrounded the president’s motorcade during protests.

The unrest stems from Noboa’s sweeping economic and security reforms, which include ending a decades-old fuel subsidy as part of efforts to reduce public spending and combat drug trafficking. While the government says the savings will be redirected to social programs, indigenous groups argue the policy has deepened poverty and inequality.

The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), the country’s largest indigenous organization, has led nationwide strikes and road blockades since the subsidy cut was announced. The government has blamed “terrorist groups” for infiltrating the demonstrations, prompting a state of emergency in ten provinces over the weekend.

CONAIE acknowledged that several of its members were detained in the Cañar incident but denied any assassination plot, accusing the government instead of “brutal police and military action” against peaceful demonstrators.

Tensions remain high as the Noboa administration struggles to balance fiscal reforms with widespread social discontent — all while Ecuador faces rising drug-related violence and deepening political polarization.

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