At least 50 inmates died in a series of mutinies that broke out Tuesday (February 23) in three of Ecuador’s overcrowded prisons, which authorities say are due to rivalries between drug trafficking gangs.
“For the moment, the criminal police report 50 deaths among people deprived of their liberty” during disturbances in the penitentiary establishments of the port of Gayaquil (southwest), as well as in the Andean cities of Cuenca and Latacunga ( south), police said on Twitter.
The police “act to regain control”
The authorities, who set up a crisis unit, did not say whether order had been restored in these prisons, while the army was deployed as reinforcements outside that of Guayaquil, the second city and capital. economy of the country. The general prosecutor’s office indicated that 38 prisoners had died in the only high security pavilion of the Cuenca penitentiary center.
President Lenin Moreno attributed these mutinies, which broke out simultaneously, to “criminal organizations” and added on Twitter that the police “are acting to regain control of the prisons”.
“Generalized mutinies”
According to the prosecution, “clashes between criminal gangs” have also left several injured, including two prisoners from Guayaquil who are in serious condition. The police commander, Patricio Carrillo, for his part, initially referred to “generalized mutinies” and warned that “the situation is critical” in Latacunga prison.
Before the unrest on Tuesday, three prisoners had already died since January during the unrest, police said. The Ecuadorian prison system currently has over 38,000 prisoners for 27,000 places, with only 1,500 guards. In December 2020, mutinies in various prisons, also attributed to rivalries between gangs, in particular drug traffickers, had left eleven dead and seven injured among inmates.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
