ANKARA: Ecuador declared a state of emergency in three provinces late Friday amid violent protests by Indigenous people demanding cuts in fuel prices.
“I am committed to defending our capital and our country,“ Anadolu Agency (AA) quoted President Guillermo Lasso as saying on television.
The state of emergency is declared in three provinces, including the capital Quito.
On Monday, indigenous groups in Ecuador took to the streets, protesting against the government’s economic policies.
According to the local press, the demonstrators blocked roads in the Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, Pastaza, Napo, and Tungurahua provinces.
More than 53 NGOs from various sectors reportedly participated in the demonstrations.
In Ecuador, going through serious economic and social crises in recent years, the government says financial reforms are necessary to revive the economy due to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) debt.
Indigenous people in the country account for over one million in a population of roughly 18 million. — Bernama
