Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Attempt Amid Rising Political Tensions

Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa has claimed there was an attempt to poison him after receiving gifts of chocolate and jam laced with toxic chemicals at a public event.

Speaking in an interview with CNN on Thursday, Noboa said laboratory tests revealed three “highly concentrated” toxic substances in the sweets, insisting that the contamination “could not have been accidental.”

According to the 37-year-old leader, the substances were not from the products or their packaging, and evidence collected by his security team supports the poisoning allegation. Ecuador’s military protection unit has reportedly filed a formal complaint with state prosecutors.

This marks the second alleged attempt on Noboa’s life in less than a month. Earlier in October, his motorcade came under attack in Cañar province, where protesters angry over rising diesel prices hurled stones and other objects at his convoy. The government described that incident as an “assassination attempt,” though no physical evidence such as bullet casings was recovered from the scene. Noboa escaped unharmed.

Ecuador has been gripped by unrest since September 22, when the country’s largest Indigenous organization, CONAIE, began nationwide roadblocks and protests against fuel price hikes. The demonstrations have intensified amid growing public frustration over economic hardship and insecurity.

Some political analysts suggest that Noboa’s repeated claims of assassination attempts could be aimed at rallying public sympathy ahead of a key referendum scheduled for November 16. The proposed referendum would allow Noboa to push constitutional reforms aimed at strengthening anti-drug and security measures.

Defending his position, the president said: “No one throws a Molotov cocktail at themselves, poisons themselves with chocolate, or stones their own motorcade.”

Ecuador, once considered one of Latin America’s safest countries, has in recent years become a major cocaine trafficking hub between Colombia, Peru, and global markets. The resulting wave of violence including car bombings, assassinations, and prison riots has severely undermined public confidence in the government.

Noboa, who took office promising to restore order and economic stability, now faces mounting pressure to address the twin crises of insecurity and political unrest while safeguarding his own safety.