The nation's president Daniel Noboa came out without injury after his official convoy was targeted by stone-throwing demonstrators and what authorities described as possible shots.
The president was opening a water purification facility in the country's central region when his convoy was attacked by a large group demonstrating against increasing fuel prices.
Approximately five hundred individuals appeared and were hurling rocks at him, and there are obviously bullet marks on the official vehicle
stated Ecuador's environment minister.
Officials confirmed that five individuals were detained and would face court proceedings on terrorism accusations – an offense carrying a highest penalty of three decades in prison.
Video footage made public by the government depicts demonstrators positioned in the street, covered in banners, scrambling to collect sizeable rocks and bricks.
When the presidential SUV drove by, projectiles slammed into the paneling and broke glass.
Someone could be heard yelling: "Duck! Get down!" as the car sped away.
Authorities said they were still investigating whether certain of the damage on Noboa's armored vehicle were resulted from gunfire.
This reported incident occurred amid several days of increasingly violent protests sparked by a government decision to increase diesel prices.
Protesters have gone on strike, blocked roads and abducted 16 soldiers – who were eventually released unharmed.
Ecuador's biggest Indigenous organization stated that a protester had been fatally injured by armed forces during a the rallies.
Over one hundred individuals, including demonstrators and law enforcement, are believed to have been hurt in the violence.
The president has declared a state of emergency across multiple regions.
The presidential administration stated on digital platforms after the incident that "such actions will not stop" the president.
The head of the Organization of American States said that "such violent acts are an attack on democracy, stability, and the principle of harmonious living that must prevail in our societies."
The recently re-elected president is attempting to cut fuel support to conserve about $1bn in public expenditure, redirecting a significant portion of the savings to security funding.
The nation, once considered one of the region's safest countries, has seen a significant increase in violence in the past few years.
Positioned between Colombia and Peru, both the world's largest drug manufacturers, the country has become a major transit hub for illegal drugs.
Authorities have alleged drug gangs of fueling the unrest, implying that criminal groups are exploiting the demonstrations to destabilize the country.
It is estimated that seventy percent of the world's illegal drug market transits via the country, much of it headed for the US.
The trade has drawn global crime syndicates, including Mexican drug cartels, Italian mafia groups, and Albania's mafia.
The rivalry for control of smuggling corridors has transformed Ecuador into one of the region's most dangerous locations.
The president has proposed a public vote to allow the return of American military to the nation, repealing a previous restriction on foreign bases.
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