Quito.- The Ecuadorian Ministry of Defense reported this Sunday that 12 soldiers were injured and 17 detained after being ambushed by "
infiltrated terrorist groups" in the protests against the rise in diesel in the Andean city of Cotacachi where, according to the indigenous movement, a demonstrator died.
"12 soldiers injured while guarding a food convoy were ambushed," asserted the Ministry on its X social media account, in which it asserts that this is
"the most palpable proof that the protest is NOT peaceful."
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In addition, he added that 17 military personnel were detained "in the fulfillment of their mission, while guarding a food convoy destined to supply the most needy areas of the northern Sierra, who were violently ambushed by terrorist groups infiltrated in Cotacachi".
"Acts like these will NOT go unpunished. The Armed Forces condemn these acts. The life and safety of Ecuadorians is above all else," concluded the message, which is accompanied by photographs of soldiers with blood on their faces and heads, as well as a video of the moment they are attacked.
Conaie reports a death
For its part, the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie) denounced this Sunday the death of a protester during the protests, which is its seventh day.
"We denounce the death of Efraín Fuerez, an indigenous community member from Cuicocha, Imbabura, assassinated on 09/28/2025 by a gunshot from the Armed Forces (FFAA), during the 2025 National Strike in Cotacachi," stated Conaie on its X social media account.
Neither the Presidency, the Police, nor the Ministry of the Interior, consulted by the press, have yet commented on the complaint by Conaie, which is calling for the national strike.
The Attorney General's Office stated that "after learning about the alleged death of a citizen in Cotacachi", officials from that institution went to the site to remove the body and carry out the corresponding procedures.
The Conaie, the largest social organization in the country, rejected "the lethal use of force by the Armed Forces against indigenous community members".
The province of Imbabura has become the epicenter of the strike, called with national character and that since last Monday has been characterized by the partial cutting of roads and sporadic protests in about five of the 24 provinces of the country.
The Conaie demands that the president, Daniel Noboa, repeal decree 126 with which he eliminated the diesel subsidy, but the head of state remains firm in his decision.
The president of Conaie, Marlon Vargas, has requested the release of those detained during the protests, which the Government estimates to be around one hundred - some charged with terrorism - and among those detained are two Venezuelans who the authorities presume are linked to the Tren de Aragua, a transnational criminal organization, classified by the Noboa Government as "terrorist".
A large march on Saturday in Otavalo demanded the release of twelve detainees following Monday's protest, when a thousand protesters attacked a police detachment, damaged its infrastructure, and burned ten police and private vehicles.
The indigenous movement already led in 2019 and 2022 the massive protests that led presidents Lenín Moreno (2017-2021) and Guillermo Lasso (2021-2023) to back down when they also wanted to eliminate state subsidies on fuels to meet the fiscal adjustment goals of the credit programs signed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
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