Ecuador declares emergency over fuel subsidy protests | International

QUITO, Sept 17, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Ecuadoran President Daniel Noboa decreed a state of emergency Tuesday in seven provinces of the violence-wracked South American country over protests against his elimination of fuel subsidies. Noboa announced the cut last week in a bid to save $1.1 billion that he said would be redirected to social assistance and agricultural support programs. The move saw the price of diesel soar from $1.80 to $2.80 per gallon (48 cents to 74 cents per liter) in a country where nearly a third of the population is poor. Efforts by two previous presidents to eliminate the costly subsidy were met with violent demonstrations. These were spearheaded by the powerful Conaie Indigenous group, credited with unseating three...