Ecuador has been thrown into turmoil after President Daniel Noboa scrapped the diesel subsidy that kept fuel prices low for years. The sudden move on September 12 sent diesel soaring from $1.80 to $2.80 a gallon — and tempers with it.
Across the country, crowds poured into the streets. Indigenous farmers, fishermen, and transport workers — people who rely on cheap fuel to live — blocked highways and shut down major cities. Buses stopped running. Market stalls went dark.
According to Reuters, rural communities have felt the pain most sharply. “We can’t keep paying for government mistakes,” a protester shouted in Imbabura, a province that once voted heavily for Noboa.
The government’s response has been heavy-handed. Security forces have clashed with demonstrators, leaving one person dead and several others injured. More than a hundred have been detained. In Quito, 5,000 soldiers have been deployed after reports that protesters tried to reach the president’s motorcade.
Talks between the government and protest leaders haven’t begun, and the silence is only deepening fears of more violence ahead.
Article updated 6 days ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
