Fifteen inmates were killed on Monday during a mutiny in one of the largest prisons in Ecuador, where violence between gangs has already left many dead. Clashes between detainees also left 21 injured according to the latest report.
According to a press release from the Ecuadorian prison administration (SNAI), “the tactical units continued operations to regain control” of the penitentiary on Monday. The armed forces came as reinforcements outside the prison. In images broadcast on television, we see prisoners climbing on the roofs as explosions sound.
Seven massacres in the same prison
According to an SNAI official, Leandro Norero is one of the victims. Nicknamed “El Patron”, this man was arrested in May for money laundering during an operation where 6.4 million dollars, 24 gold bars, firearms and ammunition were seized. The man, who also risked prison in Peru, would have become one of the leaders among the detainees.
Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso presented this Monday “a message of condolence and solidarity with the families of those who died today”. Located on the outskirts of the city of Latacunga, this prison, one of the largest in the country, houses some 4,300 prisoners. Since February 2021, it has experienced seven massacres between detainees that have killed more than 400 people.
The authorities have so far been unable to curb this violence, often perpetrated with knives and marked by beheadings and other acts of barbarism. According to official estimates, the country’s overcrowded prisons house some 35,000 prisoners, including many members of drug-related gangs.