Fighting broke out in a prison in the city of Guayaquil yesterday. The army surrounded the institution, where six detainees were also said to have been beheaded. Prison guards and police officers were attacked by inmates with firearms.
Goes wrong more often
This is not the first time things have gone terribly wrong in Ecuadorian prisons, which are often overstretched and understaffed. Earlier this year At least 79 people were killed in a wave of violence in prisons.
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Ties to drug cartels
The fights are likely to involve gangs linked to Mexico’s Sinaloa and Jalisco drug cartels. Soldiers and tanks guarded the complex in Guayaquil yesterday as police patrolled on horseback. Many concerned relatives of detainees were present.
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Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso has declared a state of emergency in all prisons in the country. In this way, the police can act more easily within the prison walls and the freedoms of prisoners can be further curtailed.
Explosives and guns
In recent weeks, police officers discovered explosives, guns and hundreds of bullets during multiple prison searches. A prison was also attacked by drones two weeks ago because of the ‘war’ between the gangs, when no one was injured.
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