(MENAFN) Clashes between Ecuadorian security forces and demonstrators in Otavalo, northern Ecuador, left 13 soldiers injured amid growing protests over President Daniel Noboa’s decision to raise diesel prices, according to reports.

The Armed Forces of Ecuador stated that soldiers were targeted during road blockades by “violent attacks perpetrated by groups that used Molotov cocktails, firecrackers, machetes and knives.” The injured personnel were airlifted to hospitals in Imbabura for treatment.

The violence came hours after the Presidency confirmed that the Armed Forces and National Police had been deployed to address persistent blockades in the region.

The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), which organized the demonstrations, accused the government of repressing protesters. “Imbabura (province) and Otavalo resist with dignity in the face of a government that has chosen violence instead of dialogue,” the organization said. CONAIE also alleged that authorities had obstructed medical access, harassed personnel, and denied care to the injured, calling it a violation of International Humanitarian Law.

President Noboa, who earlier declared a state of emergency in 10 provinces, described the blockades as unjustified and accused demonstrators of obstructing his vision for “the new Ecuador.”

Interior Minister John Reimberg announced that the military presence in Imbabura—the center of the protests—will be increased by 5,000 personnel. “We will be here for as long as it takes to restore peace to the province,” Reimberg said. This reinforcement comes in addition to the 1,000 troops previously deployed earlier in the week as part of a humanitarian convoy.

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