MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Ecuador's President says they tried to poison him with jam and chocolate

Noboa's safety has been questioned ahead of a Nov. 16 referendum to change the Constitution

Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa insisted that he was the target of an alleged assassination attempt through poisoned food at a public event. The concentration of chemicals makes it “impossible that it was an accident,” he argued.

The presidential security team filed a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office, submitting laboratory tests showing that samples of tamarind jam, chocolate jam, and cocoa mistela contained three unusual chemicals.

“There were three different chemicals with a very high concentration,” Noboa said, identifying the hazardous substances as thionyl chloride, chloroethanol, and anthracene. He added that the products lacked the necessary health registration for human consumption due to the potentially dangerous ingredients.

The Presidential Military House, which handles the President's protocol and security, reportedly detected the chemicals during routine inspection of a basket of gifted items following a meeting with farmers in the coastal province of Los Ríos last Friday.

The evidence was handed over to the Prosecutor’s Office to launch a “whole legal process” to determine responsibility.

Yolanda Peñafiel told local media she was “sad and concerned” by the President's statement, claiming she brought the products with the “best of intentions” and that the military had inspected the items at the time of delivery.

It was the second complaint filed by the government this month regarding an alleged attempt on the 37-year-old President's life after his motorcade was allegedly hit by bullets during demonstrations by indigenous groups, though no evidence was provided at the time. Noboa himself also reported that his vehicle was stoned and targeted with fireworks and Molotov cocktails while traveling through protester roadblocks.

The alleged attempts come amid intense social protests against the government's plan to eliminate the diesel fuel subsidy. Local analysts suggest Noboa's strategy of personally entering areas occupied by protesters, where he has been greeted with stones and sticks, is intended to reinforce his image of leadership and highlight the violent nature of the demonstrations ahead of a crucial November 16 referendum on setting up a Constituent Assembly.

“No one wants to be hit by a Molotov cocktail, or a firecracker, or be poisoned with chocolate, or have stones thrown at them,” Noboa underlined.