In Ecuador, the president declared a 60-day state of emergency on Tuesday in response to widespread protests triggered by the unexpected elimination of a diesel subsidy the previous week.

The decree, citing “severe internal disturbance,” covers seven of the country’s provinces and involves the deployment of armed forces and national police.

According to a statement from the U.S. embassy, the forces were mobilized “to prevent the interruption of public services and maintain freedom of movement for the general population.”

The embassy added that “The declaration does not restrict public movement or institute a curfew, but it does suspend the right to freedom of assembly at all times for any gatherings that seek to interrupt public services and impede the rights and liberties of the rest of the population.”

Video footage showed clashes between Ecuadorian protesters and police in Quito, the capital, on Tuesday, with protesters dismantling barriers and police using tear gas.

Despite the unrest, the U.S. has not changed its travel advisory, which advises Americans to “exercise increased caution” and avoid large crowds where violence could occur.

The clashes follow the government’s announcement on Friday that it would eliminate the diesel subsidy starting Saturday, reallocating the funds to social programs to ease the country’s financial difficulties.

The government stated on X that “For decades, the diesel subsidy represented a $1.1 billion burden on fiscal accounts, without truly reaching those who needed it.”

The decree caused the price of diesel to jump overnight to $2.80, ending a decades-long subsidy that previous administrations had attempted to remove but faced public opposition.

The government maintains that the subsidy was poorly distributed, disproportionately benefiting higher-income individuals and businesses rather than vulnerable populations.

President Noboa’s administration plans to use the savings from the subsidy removal to allocate $220 million to the transportation sector to prevent fare increases in public transportation.

However, Ecuadorians are concerned about the direct impact on the nation’s poorest citizens.

Reuters reported that a price stabilization mechanism will be implemented on Dec. 11 to shield consumers from global price fluctuations, though details remain unclear.

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