Ecuador protests escalate, leaving one dead

STORY: Thousands of indigenous people protested on Wednesday in Ecuador's capital city Quito, demanding the President address the sharp rise in fuel and food prices.

The country has been gripped by protests for 10 days.

A day before, violence erupted on the streets of the city of Puyo, which lies within the Amazon.

Social media footage from Tuesday appeared to show a demonstrator unconscious on the ground next to a device that reportedly made impact with his head.

The person lay in a pool of blood.

According to human rights group, the protester was killed after being struck in the head by a police tear gas canister.

Police confirmed the death of the protester but said he had tampered with an explosive device that officers were not using at the scene.

Nationwide, 114 police officers have been injured and 104 people detained. That's according to police.

The demonstrations are longer-lasting and larger than marches over fuel prices in October last year.

The protests are testing President Guillermo Lasso's ability to restart the economy.

The indigenous group CONAIE said on Wednesday afternoon it had sent a letter to Lasso outlining terms.

They are demanding a fuel price cut, a halt to expanding oil and mining, and more time for farmer loan re-payments.