CLASHES between law enforcement authorities and indigenous people in Ecuador left one civilian dead and 12 soldiers injured on Sunday.

The confrontation came during protests over the end of a fuel subsidy relied upon by local communities.

Military representatives and the national indigenous organisation behind the demonstrations traded blame for the violence, which developed in the Andean community north of Quito. 

Ecuador’s ministries of Defence and the Interior did not immediately acknowledge the protester’s death.

The Regional Foundation for Human Rights Advice in a statement said the man “died after being shot.” 

The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CINE), the largest indigenous organisation in the country, in a separate statement said he was killed as the result of government “repression” that also left another demonstrator “in critical condition.”

Ecuador’s Prosecutor’s Office said in a post on X it will open an investigation into the unlawful use of force.

CINE called the protest after President Daniel Noboa announced the elimination of a state subsidy for diesel fuel, increasing prices from $1.80 per gallon (£1.34) to $2.80 per gallon (£2.34).

Sunday marked the seventh day of protests. A state of emergency and curfew remained in effect in provinces with the largest indigenous populations today.