Ecuador soldiers stormed a prison retaking control of the facility as the death toll from a riot rose to 31 inmates

On Tuesday, approximately 2,700 soldiers launched an operation to regain control of a prison in Ecuador after a deadly riot that began over the weekend resulted in 31 inmate fatalities, according to authorities.

The violent clash occurred between rival gangs at the overcrowded and violence-plagued Guayas 1 prison in the port city of Guayaquil. The death toll was initially reported as 18, but it was later updated to 31, with an additional 14 inmates injured, according to the public prosecutor’s office.

Ecuador has been grappling with regular prison riots involving gangs with connections to drug trafficking, especially considering the country’s increasing role in the South American cocaine trade. The clashes in Ecuador’s prisons have claimed the lives of at least 420 people since 2021, with many victims being beheaded, burnt alive, or shot due to the widespread corruption among guards, which allows inmates to access firearms and explosives.

During the most recent violence, a police officer was also wounded alongside the inmates, as stated by the prosecutor’s office.

The armed forces, along with the police, intervened to quell the riot at Guayas 1, which began on Saturday. To address the situation, the government declared a 60-day state of emergency in all Ecuadorian prisons. It was reported that total control of the facility was restored, but there are concerns about the potential transfer of prisoners to other facilities, which has previously led to deadly clashes between new and old inmates affiliated with rival groups.

The government has initiated a murder investigation and a terrorism probe due to the use of explosives and the discovery of numerous weapons and ammunition within the prison. During the operation, officials confiscated nine rifles, a grenade launcher, four pistols, two revolvers, and 1,000 rounds of ammunition.

Family members of the inmates gathered outside Guayas 1, anxiously seeking information about their loved ones inside. They expressed concern that the authorities might move the prisoners to other prisons, escalating the tension and potential for violence.

President Guillermo Lasso took to social media to assert that the government will not give in to criminal violence. He shared images of heavily-armed security forces overseeing dozens of prisoners with bound hands and bare torsos.

Ecuador’s prisons suffer from severe overcrowding, with fewer than 3,000 guards overseeing over 31,000 inmates across 36 facilities in the country. Last year, a committee appointed by President Lasso to investigate prison conditions likened the penitentiaries to “torture centers.”

Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city and primary port, has become a focal point for a violent gang turf war, partly due to its strategic location between Colombia and Peru, major cocaine producers. The city’s position makes it a critical transit point for drug shipments destined for the United States and Europe.

Ecuador, once known for its peaceful environment, has seen a significant increase in drug seizures since May 2021, with approximately 455 tons of drugs confiscated.