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Bloody riots in prisons cause political crisis in Ecuador

Ecuador’s Interior Minister Patricio Pasminio resigned on Friday, almost two weeks after riots broke out in four prisons where a total of 79 people lost their lives, which shocked the Andean country.

“It is my personal decision to submit my irrevocable resignation,” Pasminio said in a letter to President Lenin Moreno, which he uploaded to Twitter.

Patricio Pasminio, head of the ministry since November, added without elaborating that “Interrogated” for the way he performed his duties.

He also said he had been diagnosed “for the second time” with the new coronavirus, which exposes him “At enormous risk” and makes it “impossible” for him to continue in his duties.

Ecuador’s parliament earlier this week demanded the ouster of the interior minister, the police chief and the director of the prison service, following violent riots in the prison.

President Moreno characterized “Barbarism” the “extermination” of prisoners in conflicts “between gangs of thugs”. Mr Pasminio, speaking in parliament, had linked the massacres to the actions of “international” gangs, without naming any.

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