Noboa declares state of emergency in ten Ecuadorian provinces amid fuel price protests
Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency in ten of the country’s 24 provinces on Saturday, citing “serious internal unrest” as Indigenous-led protests over rising diesel prices turned violent.
The decree, issued late at night, seeks to halt the escalation of demonstrations that the government says have increasingly disrupted public order and endangered citizens.
According to the presidential decree, the emergency applies to the provinces of Pichincha, Cotopaxi, Tungurahua, Chimborazo, Bolívar, Cañar, Azuay, Orellana, Sucumbíos and Pastaza. Noboa said the protests had “exceeded the legitimate limits” of peaceful resistance and now represent “a serious alteration of public order beyond the control of ordinary measures.” The order suspends the right to public assembly in these regions, limiting gatherings in public spaces for 60 days, though peaceful demonstrations will still be permitted if they do not infringe on others’ rights.
The president also authorised the mobilisation of the Armed Forces and National Police to maintain security, protect lives and ensure freedom of movement and economic activity. Noboa claimed that police and soldiers had been attacked, kidnapped, and mistreated during the protests. Human rights groups, meanwhile, have reported nearly 200 alleged violations, mostly attributed to security forces.
This is the second state of emergency Noboa has declared in recent weeks. On Friday, Ecuador’s Constitutional Court annulled a previous decree affecting five provinces, following challenges from the powerful Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), which leads the current demonstrations. The court upheld the emergency only in the provinces of Carchi and Imbabura, the latter considered the epicentre of unrest.
The protests erupted after Noboa ended long-standing diesel subsidies — a policy that he says will save the state $1.1 billion but that critics argue will hit rural and Indigenous communities hardest. CONAIE leader Marlon Vargas warned that demonstrators could “take over Quito” if the government refuses to negotiate, invoking memories of the 2019 and 2022 uprisings that forced previous administrations to reverse similar fuel price hikes. So far, one person has been killed, more than 80 injured, and over 100 arrested during the 13 days of demonstrations.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
