Ecuador: Fuel Protests Continue After 275 Arrested in Crackdown

By Staff, Agencies

The transport systems of Ecuadorian cities remained still on Friday amid ongoing protests over the government's decision to cut the subsidies for petrol, which sent the fuel prices soaring.

Previously, clashes broke out between protesters and police in Ecuador after President Lenin Moreno declared a "state of emergency" Thursday following demonstrations against rising fuel prices, with up to 275 people reportedly arrested in a large-scale crackdown.

Police fired tear gas at protesters who threw stones and fire bombs 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 – paralyzed public transportation in some areas, while clashes between police and demonstrators blocked roads.

In early October, Ecuador announced it would withdraw from OPEC, the powerful oil manufacturers' group, in January, as it sought to tackle its economic plights by pumping out more oil.

OPEC's smallest member is struggling with a fiscal deficit and large-scale foreign debt.