Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno on Saturday accused his predecessor Rafael Correa and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of "directing" the violence in Quito, a day after protesters attacked government buildings and media offices.
"Obscure forces, linked to organised political delinquency and led by Correa and Maduro, with the complicity of narco-terrorism, criminal gangs, violent foreign citizens, have caused violence never seen before", Moreno said during a televised statement.
On Saturday, the command of the Ecuadorian Armed Forces imposed restrictions on people’s movement in “strategically important areas” across the country after Moreno imposed a curfew in the capital of Quito and its outskirts.
Later the same day, Moreno pledged to asses an austerity decree.
Mass protests erupted in Ecuador in early October as thousands rallied across the country against the government's economic reforms, particularly, the decision to end decades-long fuel subsidies for people.
According to Moreno, Ecuador could no longer afford them and the cuts could help the country save some $2.27 billion a year. Additionally, the abolition of fuel subsidies was part of the Ecuadorian government's deal with the International Monetary Fund to be eligible for a $4.2 billion loan.