Clashes broke out between protesters and police in Ecuador after President Lenín Moreno declared a state of emergency Thursday after demonstrations against rising fuel prices, due to the government’s scrapping subsidies.
Police fired tear gas at protesters who threw stones and firebombs close to the seat of government in the historic center of the capital Quito.
Moreno told reporters he had taken the measure “to safeguard the security of citizens and to avoid chaos.”
The protests — the largest in a decade — were led by the transport sector and included students and other groups. They paralyzed public transportation in some areas, while clashes between police and demonstrators blocked roads.
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