According to officials, violent clashes between gangs in an Ecuadorian prison resulted in the death of at least 12 inmates. The incident took place on April 14 in Guayaquil’s Litoral Penitentiary, which is considered the most dangerous prison in the country. Following the clashes, an investigation was launched to identify those responsible for the deaths.
On Wednesday, six detainees were found hanged in the same prison, which has been plagued by violence linked to drug trafficking. The day after, three prison guards were killed outside the penitentiary complex. On Friday, three prisoners were injured in separate gun battles at the Litoral Penitentiary.
The rise in such incidents has led to the deaths of hundreds of inmates in Ecuador, with the government attributing it to clashes between drug gangs fighting for territory and control. However, a United Nations delegation found that the violence is due to years of neglect by the state of the penitentiary system.
Since early 2021, more than 400 prisoners have been killed, with most being found dismembered and burned, and at least eight massacres recorded in these prisons. Guayaquil has become the epicenter of drug trafficking in Ecuador, which is also a transit point for cocaine moving to Europe and the United States.
President Guillermo Lasso, who is currently facing impeachment hearings on corruption charges, has reportedly failed to address the growing violence in the country. Earlier this month, the government amended a decree to allow citizens to use firearms and pepper spray in light of the growing violence.
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