Ecuador President Blames Venezuelan Gang for Fuel Protests

QUITO – Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa on Tuesday accused the Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua of financing Indigenous protests over soaring fuel prices that have disrupted the country for days.

Earlier this month, Noboa announced a cut in the fuel subsidy, claiming it would save the state $1.1 billion. The move caused diesel prices to jump from $1.80 to $2.80 per gallon (48 cents to 74 cents per liter), fueling public outrage in a country where nearly a third of the population lives in poverty.

Hundreds of Indigenous Ecuadorans have staged protests, defying a state of emergency declared by Noboa last week. The demonstrations have blockaded key roads, delaying food deliveries and affecting critical sectors of the economy.

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On Tuesday, Noboa posted photographs on X of several men behind bars, asserting they were connected to Tren de Aragua, though he did not clarify their identities or specific ties to the protests. “This is not a struggle, it’s not a protest... it’s the same mafias as always,” the president said.

Ecuador, like the United States, has labeled Tren de Aragua a terrorist group due to its links to cartel violence. Noboa warned that anyone defying the state of emergency could be charged with terrorism and face up to 30 years in prison.

Government officials reported that 47 people have been arrested so far, including two foreigners with “indications” of ties to the gang, according to Minister of Government Zaida Rovira.

The Tren de Aragua gang has also been at the center of rising tensions between Venezuela and the United States. Washington recently deployed warships to the southern Caribbean in an anti-drug operation, claiming that several people killed in US strikes on boats were members of the gang.

The Conaie Indigenous group, representing nearly eight percent of Ecuador’s 17 million population, condemned what it called “violent repression” and urged supporters to “stand firm.” Conaie has historically played a key role in Ecuadorian politics, credited with unseating three presidents between 1997 and 2005.

Protests continue across Ecuador despite government crackdowns, with Indigenous groups calling for further nationwide demonstrations.