QUITO — Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa declared a night-time curfew in five provinces on Sept. 18 as protests led by the country's main Indigenous organization intensified in response to the government's decision to eliminate diesel subsidies.
The Confederación de Nacionalidades Indígenas del Ecuador (Conaie), Ecuador's most powerful Indigenous umbrella group, announced an "immediate and indefinite" national strike to demand the restoration of fuel subsidies. The organization said the demonstrations also reject what it called Noboa's "neoliberal policies," the deterioration of the health and education systems, and government promotion of oil and mining projects.
Noboa expanded the state of exception he first declared on Sept. 16, extending emergency measures to Chimborazo province and imposing a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew in Cotopaxi, Chimborazo, Imbabura, Bolívar and Carchi. The military has been deployed to support police operations across seven provinces.
The government is bracing for major disruption reminiscent of June 2022, when Conaie-led protests forced then-President Guillermo Lasso to roll back parts of his economic agenda after more than two weeks of roadblocks and demonstrations.
Latacunga, the capital of Cotopaxi province, is expected to be a flashpoint. Noboa relocated his government there on Sept. 13, a move he said was meant to show his commitment to the provinces. But Indigenous leaders from the Movimiento Indígena y Campesino de Cotopaxi warned residents to stock up on food and supplies, vowing to "take over the city of Latacunga" to pressure Noboa to return to his birthplace of Miami.
Adding to tensions, Noboa announced on Sept. 17 that he would include a proposal for a constituent assembly to rewrite the country's 2008 constitution as part of a forthcoming referendum. The initiative has already drawn criticism from allies of former President Rafael Correa, who has defended the constitution as a key legacy of his administration.
Meanwhile, Ecuador's attorney general's office warned demonstrators that it would prosecute crimes such as sabotage, terrorism, obstruction of public services, and incitement to disorder.
Noboa has so far refused to negotiate with Conaie. Analysts say the president now faces a high-stakes standoff that could determine whether his administration maintains political authority or is forced into concessions that weaken his standing.
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