Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso declared a state of emergency in three provinces late Friday in response to sometimes violent protests by Indigenous people demanding cuts in fuel prices, AFP reported. The areas covered include the capital Quito.

"I am committed to defending our capital and our country," Lasso said on television. 

"There are citizens who are marching to demand just causes. I tell them that we are listening, and that is why we make decisions, always thinking about the rights of all," Lasso tweeted.