Ecuador, First Published Nov 14, 2021, 1:26 PM IST
Bodies scattered in the yard and cells. Bodies hanging from drinking water pipes outside the jail. Walls pierced by bullets. Falling weapons. Those who are bathed in blood and unable to go to the hospital despite their injuries.
This is a view of Ecuador ‘s largest prison where inmates of drug gangs clashed for eight hours with weapons. The hours-long struggle took place at the Littoral Penitentiary Jail in the coastal town of Gayakhil. When the security forces took control of the jail after the encounter, 68 bodies were found. Police said 35 people were seriously injured.
Two months ago, on September 29, 116 prisoners were killed in clashes between drug gangs here. The bodies of five of them were found decapitated. About 100 people were injured in the clashes. Following this, a state of emergency was declared in prisons in Ecuador. The government’s decision to house the army in jails, however, was thwarted by court intervention. The court overturned the government’s decision citing human rights issues.
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Scattered corpses, some without heads, horror scenes from the prison after the gang war
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Two months ago, members of the notorious international drug trafficking gangs Lo Lobas and Lo Conras clashed in prison. A new confrontation ensued.
The drug inmates, housed in three pavilions in the jail, were confronted with machine guns and explosives. Police said the shooting continued for about eight hours. The weapons were smuggled into the prison in food trucks. Police say the weapons were also delivered by drone.
The first attack was on a block where a special group of drug inmates were staying. The massacre took place after the wall separating the block was smashed with dynamite. Attempts were also made to burn the beds and burn the prisoners. The clash took place when the opposition group resisted armed.
Relatives of the detainees have gathered in front of the jail on hearing of the incident. They allege that their loved ones were mistreated inside the prison. Many of the bodies were mutilated. Other prisoners are known to have been killed in clashes between drug gangs. Relatives of those killed demanded that control of the prisons be handed over to the military.
Ecuadorian police have recently arrested and jailed several members of the Mexican drug mafia. The clash took place between them. This was on July 22 following a flood in prisons in Ecuador. At least 100 people were killed in clashes at three prisons that day. Prison conflicts are frequent in Ecuador, where drug gangs are rampant. It is also common for armed gangs to kill enemies inside the prison.
Large-scale clashes also take place here as part of some groups’ domination of the prison. Police have been accused of committing encounter killings.
Last Updated Nov 14, 2021, 1:26 PM IST
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