Ecuador jail: Dozens killed in Guayaquil prison fight

[muriel_volestrangler]

At least 30 inmates have been killed and dozens injured in a fight between rival gangs at a prison in the Ecuadorean port city of Guayaquil.

A police commander said at least five inmates had been decapitated while others had been shot dead.

Commander Fausto Buenaño said the prisoners had also thrown grenades.

The regional governor said it took 400 police officers to regain control of the jail, which houses prisoners with links to international drug gangs.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-58733202

[Judi Lynn]

1. Unbearable violence. It is encouraged by overcrowding, by all means.

In places like that a prison sentence clearly could easily mean a death sentence.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Death toll in Ecuador prison riot rises to 116, six decapitated

September 29, 2021
8:43 PM CDT
Last Updated an hour ago
Americas

Reuters

2 minute read

QUITO, Sept 29 (Reuters) - The death toll from a riot at one of Ecuador's largest prisons rose to 116, President Guillermo Lasso said on Wednesday, adding that he would send additional security forces and free up funds to avoid a repeat.

Another 80 inmates were injured during the Tuesday night clashes at the Penitenciaria del Litoral in Guayas province, which has been the scene of bloody fights between gangs for control of the prison in recent months.

"It is unfortunate that criminal groups are attempting to convert prisons into a battleground for power disputes," Lasso told reporters in Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city. "I ask God to bless Ecuador and that we can avoid more loss of human life."

Tuesday's clash was the most deadly act of violence ever reported in Ecuador's penitentiary system. Similar clashes took place in February and July 2021 in various prisons throughout the country. At least 79 people died in the February violence, and in July at least 22 lives were lost.

More:
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/ecuador-raises-prison-riot-death-toll-30-still-recovering-bodies-2021-09-29/

[Judi Lynn]

3. Ecuador's Prison Slaughterhouse a Warning to Rest of Latin America

ECUADOR
/30 SEP 2021
BY CHRIS DALBY

Ecuador is reeling from its worst-ever prison massacre, but the factors that led to this situation could well be replicated in other countries across the region.

On September 28, fighting broke out at a prison in Guayaquil between two large gangs, the Choneros and the Lobos. Two major riots took place during the day, leading to at least 116 inmates losing their lives, according to official figures.

Images on social media showed grisly scenes, including bodies piled up against walls and corpses with severed heads and limbs.

This was the worst prison massacre yet in Ecuador, which is facing an escalating crisis of violence between its major gangs, largely in Guayaquil. In February, coordinated attacks by four gangs, including the Lobos, against the Choneros at three prisons across Ecuador’s second city saw 75 inmates murdered. On July 21, another 21 people were killed at prisons in Guayaquil and Cotopaxi, again linked to gang rivalries.

More:
https://insightcrime.org/news/ecuadors-prison-slaughterhouse-a-warning-to-rest-of-latin-america/