In this May 30, 2019, Ecuadorean soldiers stand guard outside the Litoral Prison in Guayaquil, Ecuador, amid clashes with relatives of the prisoners following a shooting between inmates which left six people dead. A riot broke out at the prison on Sept 28, resulting in at least 116 deaths. (MARCOS PIN / AFP)
QUITO – President Guillermo Lasso declared the prison system under emergency for the second time since he took power in May after gang violence claimed the lives of 116 inmates at a Guayaquil penitentiary in one of the bloodiest jail riots in the history of Latin America.
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. Authorities attribute the violence to clashes among gangs fighting for drug business.
Tuesday's clash at the Penitenciaria del Litoral in Guayas province was the most deadly act of violence ever reported in Ecuador's penitentiary system
"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."
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Police, who searched the prison for weapons a week ago, continued finding bodies after regaining control of the facility following Tuesday’s riot, said Bolivar Garzon, the director of the prison service.
Lasso said he would send additional security forces and free up funds to avoid a repeat. A plan to modify prisons to improve security will start with the Guayaquil penitentiary, he said.
The president previously declared a prison emergency in July when a riot left 18 dead between the Guayaquil and Latacunga prisons.
Under the 60-day state of emergency, the government suspends prisoners’ rights to assembly and to privacy regarding their mail
Under the 60-day state of emergency, the government suspends prisoners’ rights to assembly and to privacy regarding their mail.
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.
Dozens of people arrived at the jail to seek information about relatives and demand accountability from officials responsible for the inmates' safety. The government bolstered military presence outside the facility. Lasso said the state would assist the families of dead and injured inmates.
The South American country's prosecutor's office said earlier on Wednesday that six of the slain prisoners at Penitenciaria del Litoral had been decapitated.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has previously condemned the violence, and Human Rights Watch urged Ecuador's government to fully investigate the prison violence and bring those responsible to justice.
READ MORE: At least 62 killed in Ecuador's prison gang riots
Lasso has earmarked close to $80 million to overhaul the prison system. In August he said the government would provide more funding for the overcrowded prison system to build new wards and install new equipment to improve security.
